UNDERSTANDING PALLIATIVE CARE

Quality of life is at the forefront of this approach

- Amber Bramble

Palliative care can be a difficult thing to talk about, and as a result it's an area of healthcare that is often misunderstood.

Paul Rosenquist, a palliative care nurse and aged care manager, says having open conversations can help remove these misconceptions and allow a greater understanding. One thing many people don't realise about palliative care is that it's really about improving quality of living.

"We need to be able to sit down and embrace conversations as a whole and talk about things," he explains.

"We're all on the same pathway really, it's a trajectory and it's a natural trajectory."

CHANGING PERSPECTIVE

One myth about palliative care is that it only starts in the final stages of a life-limiting illness. But everyone is different and some people may start early in their diagnosis when they still have a number of years ahead of them.

"They might need us for a period of time, while they're going through that curative treatment," Paul says.

"We'll reach out to them at certain points in time and talk to them to support them on their journey."

This approach can reframe the way people view palliative care.

"If there's an early intervention in anybody's disease trajectory, it's accepted in a very different context," he says.

WHOLE PERSON CARE