Palliative care in the NT

Palliative care is a special type of care for a person who is terminally ill and approaching the end of their life.

The aim of palliative care is to:

• affirm life and regard dying as a normal process
• neither hasten nor prolong death
• provide relief from pain and distressing symptoms
• manage the psychological, emotional and spiritual aspects of patient care
• offer support to help patients maximise their quality of life
• offer support to help the family cope during the patient's illness and in bereavement
• consider the patient's choice of setting of care, including at the end of life.

Territory Palliative Care services

Territory Palliative Care (TPC) provides palliative care services to the Northern Territory. Its two teams are based in Darwin and Alice Springs.

TPC provides high quality palliative care that responds to the physical, psychological, social and spiritual needs of patients with an underpinning of cultural sensitivity.

TPC cares for inpatients (hospital and hospice) and outpatient/community patients. This care is for patients with a life limiting diagnosis in the last months of their lives.

Darwin

The Top End TPC services operates from the hospice, which is a 12-bed stand-alone unit within the Royal Darwin Hospital campus. Inpatient and outpatient, including rural and remote, palliative care teams are based here.

The team includes medical, nursing, occupational therapy, social workers and physiotherapy staff.

Location and contact

Rocklands Drive
Casuarina NT 0810

PO Box 41326
Casuarina NT 0811

Phone: 08 8922 7962
Fax: 08 8922 7977

Alice Springs

In Central Australia, the service operates from the palliative care facility, a 10-bed stand-alone unit within the Alice Springs Hospital campus. The service provides:

• inpatient and outpatient support to aged-care facilities and
• patients at home in rural and remote areas.

TPC services work closely with a variety of health care professionals to provide the best care possible.

Location and contact

Alice Springs Hospital
Entrance on Simpson Street
Alice Springs NT 0870

PO Box 721
Alice Springs NT 0871

Phone: 08 8951 9198

Resources

For more information about palliative care, go to the following websites:

• Palliative Care Australia
• PEPA - program of experience in the palliative approach
• CareSearch - palliative care knowledge network
• Cancer Council NT
• Canteen
• Carers NT
• Camp Quality
• SIDS and Kids NT
• Decision Assist - palliative care and advanced care planning in aged care
• Advanced Personal Plan
• Australian Centre for Grief and Bereavement