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Call the Aged Care Advocacy Line, our national team of advocates is available Monday to Friday 8am–8pm and Saturday 10am-4pm 

Self-advocacy toolkit

What you need to know for better aged care

Self-advocacy or speaking up means having the right information to get the care and support you need. Explore the topics below to start.

Home Self-advocacy toolkit Help with decision making Palliative care

Palliative care

Palliative care improves the quality of life of someone who has an illness that can’t be cured. Palliative care specialists often work as part of a team to address the person’s physical, emotional, and spiritual needs. They also provide support to the family or caregiver.

End-of-life care is an important part of palliative care. The care people receive in the last days, weeks and months of their lives can minimise their distress and grief, and that of their family and caregivers.

Palliative care services can be provided in a range of settings, including your home, an aged care home, hospital, or palliative care unit. To find a palliative care service in your area, see the directory below.

Thinking about your future health care needs can ensure your preferences are respected.

Documents and external links

Learn more about palliative care. These documents and websites offer help, strategies, and practical information. Brief descriptions are provided for each document or link.

10 questions to ask about palliative care in residential aged care

A helpful guide with questions to find out whether the aged care service can manage your changing needs in the final stage of your life from Palliative Care Australia.

National Palliative Care service directory

Use this search tool to find a palliative care service provider in your local area from Palliative Care Australia.

End-of-life care

Read the My Aged Care webpage to learn more about support options for palliative care and end-of-life care in aged care including support for carers.

What matters to me: conversation guide

Download this helpful guide from the Australian Department of Health and Aged Care which provides you with ideas on how to start the conversation about your end-of-life care.

The Violet Initiative

The Violet Initiative provides free services, programs and resources to anyone in the community who is caring for someone in the last stage of their life – formally or informally – to help them be better prepared and supported in their role.

LGBTQI+ care

Explore ACON’s website on helpful information on palliative and end-of-life care support for people from LGBTQI+ communities.

Multilingual resources on palliative care

Palliative Care Australia has published a series of fact sheets on palliative care in 21 different languages. The Fact Sheets outline how palliative care can help, such as, a nurse calling or visiting at home to see how you are going, help with medications, and more. This can be helpful to a person who is palliative as well as their family.

End of Life Directions for Aged Care (ELDAC)

ELDAC provides information, guidance, and resources to health professionals and aged care workers to support palliative care and advance care planning to improve the care of older Australians.

Need more support?
Call 1800 700 600