Palliative care

Palliative care helps people live as fully and as comfortably as possible with a life-limiting illness. Palliative care is for people of any age. It can be provided in your home, a hospital, a hospice or an aged care (nursing) home. Find out how to get the best care for you and your loved ones.

About palliative care

Find out about palliative care — what is is, where it is provided, what it costs and how to get the best care for you.

Start the conversation

Talking about end-of-life care can be hard. Get some tips on how to start that conversation.

Planning your palliative care

Having a plan can help relieve the stress on you and your family. Look at our guide to planning your care.

Find a palliative care service provider

Understand the different types of palliative care providers and the different places you can receive care.

Browse palliative care for

Children and young people

Palliative care for children and young people is different to adults. Find out how to decide if your child needs palliative care and what services are available.

Carers

Caring for someone with a life-limiting illness can be an emotional experience. Find out what support is available to help you and the person you care for.

Latest resources

Latest resources

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Starting the conversation

Starting the conversation about palliative care and end-of-life care.

Executive Summary Report – Exploratory Review of Palliative Care Assessment Tools

This Executive Summary Report summarises the outcomes of the Exploratory Review of Palliative Care Assessment Tools project.

Comprehensive Palliative Care in Aged Care Measure – Evaluation Framework

The Evaluation Framework covers evaluation activities from April 2021 to November 2023. The primary audience for the evaluation is the Department and state and territory government representatives. 

National framework for advance care planning documents

The National framework for advance care planning documents supports advance care planning across all states and territories.