Country areas have Palliative programs that are designed to meet the needs of the individual who has a life limiting illness and requires a dedicated team of care workers to allow you to remain at home during your palliative phase.
Established in 1982, Silver Chain’s metropolitan Hospice Care Service is one of Australia’s largest community based palliative care services. The service adopts a holistic approach to home care if you have a life limiting illness and supports your family and carers.
The service provides symptom management such as pain control, psychological support and counselling services. It comprises interdisciplinary teams providing expert, professional care.
Metropolitan Palliative Care Services
Support for Carers
Spiritual Care
Counselling Services
How the Service is Funded
Further Information
Information for Health Professionals
Metropolitan Palliative Care Services
Our expert professional team is comprised of registered nurses, doctors, enrolled nurses, care aides, counsellors, chaplains and trained volunteers. If you are being discharged from hospital, you may be seen by our Admissions Facilitator who will ensure you have a smooth transition back to your home.
A case co-ordinator co-ordinates the team, ensuring that care is planned and appropriate. The team meets weekly to
review the ways in which they are providing care. A registered nurse with palliative care skills is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The teams are supported by clinical nurse consultants and a medical consultant.
Support for Carers
Respite, volunteer, chaplain and counsellor services are also available to all of our clients. Our In Home Respite Service is provided by our enrolled nurses, care aides and volunteers; enabling carers to look after themselves and clients to remain in the comfort of their own homes. The volunteers can also offer other services; such as assistance with transport for doctors’ appointments, shopping and follow up with bereaved carers.
Spiritual Care
Spiritual care is an important aspect of care. Each team has a chaplain who is available to visit clients and provide spiritual support. The chaplains offer clients an opportunity to talk openly and share life experiences. They also provide comfort and hope in a non denominational approach.
Counselling Services
At a time like this, talking can be a useful way to organise your thoughts, to understand and better manage your emotional reactions so that you might make better sense of what is happening and reduce some of your fears and anxieties. Counsellors have specifi c listening skills, are supportive and come from outside the usual group of people you might talk to.
How the Service is Funded
Our Hospice Care Service is funded by the State Government and community donations. The fees of the hospice doctors are covered by Medicare benefi ts. Payment for the services of the local general practitioner and any medication is the responsibility of the client and family.
In addition to our in home palliative care service we also provide two consultancy services to other providers:
Metropolitan Nurse Consultancy Service
The Metropolitan Nurse Consultancy Service offers a free specialist palliative care advisory service to facilities which provide 24 hour a day (including public holidays) registered nursing care. The Metropolitan Nurse Consultancy Service will provide specialist nursing advice, assessment, procedures, staff training and telephone follow up to meet the needs of a specific patient in the short term. To access this service, requests can be made through our Customer Operations Centre 24 hours a day, seven days a week by calling (08) 9242 0101.
Rural Telephone Nurse Advisory Service
The Rural Telephone Nurse Advisory Service provides rural health professional staff 24 hour access to prompt, convenient and free palliative care expertise from our Hospice Care nurse consultants to support the needs of an individual patient. This free service is available to rural health professional staff 24 hours a day, seven days a week by calling 1800 420 102.