Palliative Care in Huntington’s Disease:

Palliative care is a service that provides support to individuals with a life limiting illness and their families; enabling access to information that provide choice and control with respect to quality of life. Palliative care recognizes the life limiting illness within a family-centred model of care, meaning that family and carers can also receive practical and emotional support.

Who Can Access palliative care?

You are eligible to access palliative care through the public health system when you have been diagnosed with a life-limiting illness regardless of age.

What is the purpose palliative care?

The focus of palliative care is on living as well as possible, for as long as possible and supports can include:

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Relief of pain and other symptoms e.g. vomiting, shortness of breath
Medication management
Food and nutrition advice and support
Care and education to support better mobility and sleeping
Resources such as equipment needed to aid care at home
Assistance for families to come together to talk about sensitive issues
Links to other services such as home help and financial support
Support for people to meet cultural obligations
Support for emotional, social and spiritual concerns
Counselling and grief support for the person with the illness and their family and carers
Referrals to respite care services
Bereavement care to the family and carers once the person has died.

Who is in the palliative care team?

A palliative care team consists of a range of health professionals and other support services including:

Doctors
Nurses
Allied health professionals
Social workers
Pharmacists
Physiotherapists
Occupational and speech therapists
Psychologists
Dietitians
Spiritual/pastoral practitioners
Palliative care trained volunteers.