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.

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.

Central Australian services provide inpatient support to patients in Alice Springs and Tennant Creek Hospitals. It also provides outpatient support to patients at home (urban or remote) or in aged care facilities. This can be supplemented with attendance at the respite day care house based in Alice Springs.

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

Contact Territory Palliative Care

Territory Palliative Care has offices in the Top End and Central Australia.

Alice Springs

Administration Unit

Eurilpa House, 25 Todd Mall
Alice Springs NT 0870
Phone: 08 8951 6762

PO Box 721
Alice Springs NT 0871

Palliative Care Facility

Alice Springs Hospital grounds
6 Gap Road, The Gap
Alice Springs NT 0870

Phone: 08 8951 7013

Darwin

Rocklands Drive
Casuarina NT 0810

PO Box 41326
Casuarina NT 0811

Phone: (08) 8922 7962
Fax: (08) 8922 7977

Palliative care 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