National resources

Providing palliative care support across Australia

Finding help, advice or support is not always easy. There are a range of services and organisations that can help people who are ill or their carer. These pages have information on national resources.

Government organisations

• Carer Gateway Tel: 1800 422 737
• Free counselling service
• Information on legal matters
• Planned and emergency respite
• List of transport and travel options
• Department of Health, Disability and Ageing.
• Palliative care section.
• Department of Veterans’ Affairs
• Medicare - Services Australia
• My Aged Care: Government-funded aged care services including help around the house and aged care homes. Tel: 1800 200 422.
• Help at home - Find out which services are available and how to access them
• Eligibility and assessment
• Caring for someone - Helpful information for carers
• Respite services
• Commonwealth Home Support Program
• Support at Home Program
• Find a provider: If you have already been assessed and are ready to find a suitable local service provider
• Healthdirect Australia
• Quality, health approved information. Includes resources and information on caring for others, respite care, and residential care
• National Health Services Directory
• Check the after-hours health services page for contact information

Financial organisations and information

• Services Australia, including Centrelink
• JobSeeker Payment
• Mobility Allowance
• Companion Card
• Payments and services for caring for someone. Includes Carer Payment' Carer Allowance, and Essential Medical Equipment Payment.
• Health Care Card
• Financial Information Service
• Bereavement Payment
• National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS)
• Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS)
• Moneysmart:
• Information on coping financially after losing your partner.
• List of Public Trustees for each state and territory.

Mental health programs and sites

• Australian Government mental health initiatives and programs
• Better Access initiative: Medicare rebates to help access services by psychiatrists, psychologists, and general practitioners (GPs)
• Beyond Blue: Support programs for issues related to anxiety, depression, and suicide’
• headspace: Support for mental health and wellbeing
• SANE Australia: Support for individuals, their families, friends, and communities with mental health issues and traumas
• MensLine Australia: Free telephone and online counselling service for Australian men Tel: 1300 789 978
• Kids Helpline: Free support and counselling to talk through problems for people aged 5-25. Tel: 1800 55 1800

Support organisations

• Funerals Australia
• Older Persons Advocacy Network (OPAN): Helps older people resolve their issues with government-funded aged care services
• Lifeline: For crisis support and suicide prevention Tel: 13 11 14
• GriefLink: Information for people dealing with grief
• Grief Australia: Support for bereaved and grieving Australians
• MyGrief: Free app that provides help for people experiencing grief and for those supporting them
• Griefline: Free and confidential counselling and support to people experiencing grief and loss (Freecall 1300 845 745)
• Red Nose
• MedicAlert Foundation
• Australian Red Cross
• Young Carers Network
• CarerHelp
• Violet: Provides information and support to help people caring for someone in the last stage of life navigate this journey.
• Meals on Wheels
• Gather My Crew: Tool to coordinate help from family, friends and neighbours
• Family Relationship Advice Line: national telephone service that helps families affected by relationship issues

Travel organisations and information

• St John Ambulance Australia
• Angel Flight Australia: For coordinating free, non-emergency flights and transfers to access specialist medical treatments Tel: 1300 726 567
• Patient Assisted Travel Schemes (PATS)
• National Public Toilet Map

Compassionate groups

• Compassionate Communities Australia

Equipment services and information

• Australia’s National Equipment Database (NED) Tel: 1300 885 886

Organ and tissue registries

• Australian Organ Donor Register The national register where you record your organ and tissue donation decision.
• DonateLife: Register to become an organ and tissue donor.

Organisations to help with medicines

• Find a pharmacy
• NPS MedicineWise (National Prescribing Service)
• 1300 MEDICINE: free service staffed by registered pharmacists to answer medicine-related questions. Tel: 1300 633 424.

Representative and complaints bodies

• National Aged Care Alliance
• Consumers Health Forum of Australia
• Carers Australia
• Complaintline: For guidance on how to make a complain about health services
• The Australian Government Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission

site: For guidance on how to lodge a complaint or raise a concern, with a complaint lodgement form