How to arrange palliative care at home in Australia

Key takeaways

• Understanding how to arrange palliative care at home in Australia can make it easier to plan the clinical and practical support your loved one may need at home.
• Home-based palliative care usually involves a team. GPs and specialist services provide clinical care, while personal care, overnight support and domestic assistance may be arranged separately through a platform like Mable.
• Through Mable, families can search for local, verified independent support workers without a waitlist or referral. You can pay for support by credit or debit card, with card verification usually happening within 2 days. This means you may be able to arrange support quickly.
• Eligible older Australians may be able to access government funding through the Support at Home End-of-Life Pathway, with self-funded top-up support available through Mable.

When someone you love is approaching the end of their life, wanting them to be at home, comfortable and surrounded by familiar people and places may feel deeply important. For some Australians, remaining at home is an important part of their end-of-life wishes.

Working out how to make that possible can feel overwhelming at times. If you’re organising care as a family member or representative, there may be clinical care to coordinate as well as practical decisions about how much support is needed at home.

This guide explains how to arrange palliative care at home in Australia. It covers what may need to be organised, how you can arrange it step by step and the options available for additional support if you and your loved one need it.

Can you have palliative care at home in Australia?

Palliative care can be provided at home in Australia. For many people and families, being at home is their preferred option when it can be safely supported. Palliative care at home allows them to remain in a comfortable and familiar environment with the people they love, while still receiving clinical care to manage pain and support their comfort.

Most states and territories have community palliative care teams that may provide clinical support in the home, working alongside the person's GP and treating specialists.

A referral from a GP, specialist or other health provider is often the starting point to access these services. Self-referral may be possible in some states and territories. The availability and level of support provided vary by location and individual circumstances.

How do you arrange palliative care at home? A step-by-step guide

Arranging palliative care at home usually involves a few different parts. The steps below can help you understand where to start and what to consider.

Step 1: Speak with the treating GP or specialist

Your loved one’s GP is often a useful central point for coordinating home-based palliative care. They may make a referral to a community palliative care team, explain what clinical support may be needed and connect your family with local services.

Step 2: Connect with a community palliative care team and work out what other support is needed

Community palliative care teams provide specialist palliative care in the community, often through state or territory health services. This may include guidance for families, nursing support and clinical care, such as pain and symptom management.

You can find information about palliative care services in your state or territory using the following links:

• Palliative Care New South Wales
• Palliative Care Victoria
• Palliative Care Queensland
• Palliative Care Western Australia
• Palliative Care South Australia
• Palliative Care Tasmania
• Palliative Care ACT
• Palliative Care Northern Territory.

Alongside this clinical support, your loved one or you may need additional help with day-to-day tasks at home. This may include:

• Showering, dressing and personal hygiene
• Preparing meals and drinks
• Cleaning, laundry and other household tasks
• Companionship and reassurance
• Overnight support
• Respite support to give family members time to rest.

Step 3: Explore palliative care funding options

For eligible older Australians, the government Support at Home program may help fund approved in-home support, alongside specialist palliative care provided through the public health system. An ongoing Support at Home budget may be used for services such as nursing care and domestic assistance if they’re in the person’s support plan.

This program includes an End-of-Life Pathway for eligible older people with an estimated life expectancy of 3 months or less who want to remain at home. The pathway is designed to complement state and territory palliative care services, not replace them.

For example, an older person may access palliative nursing services and medication management through state and territory services, while using Support at Home funding for help with preparing meals and housework.

Under the End-of-Life Pathway, your loved one may be able to access around $25,000 over a 12-week period. The pathway is available to eligible older people whether or not they’re already receiving Support at Home services. A doctor or nurse practitioner must confirm that your family member meets the clinical eligibility requirements.

If your loved one isn’t already receiving Support at Home, they can request a high-priority aged care assessment. If they’re already receiving Support at Home, their provider can help request an urgent Support Plan Review.

If they’re waiting for Support at Home funding, need additional support hours alongside their funding, or aren’t eligible, they may choose to self-fund extra personal or domestic support through Mable.

Step 4: Arrange additional support through Mable

Arranging care at this stage of your loved one’s life may feel hard, but it’s also an act of love. Mable's role is to make the practical side of finding and organising day-to-day support a little more manageable.

Mable is a platform that connects you with independent support workers and nurses who can provide additional support at home, alongside your loved one’s clinical care.

Mable’s platform doesn’t replace your family member’s GP, specialist palliative care service or other clinical health providers. But using practical supports available on the platform may give you more time to spend with your loved one, rather than worrying about housework or preparing meals.

Through Mable you can:

• Choose someone who feels right for your family. Search support worker profiles using filters such as location, services offered and palliative care experience. You can also compare experience, qualifications, reviews and indicative rates.
• Contact workers directly. You can speak with support workers before booking to find someone whose experience and approach suit your loved one and family. Some workers also offer a free meet and greet before you book.
• Book with peace of mind. Independent support workers complete verification requirements before providing support on Mable including identity, reference and relevant qualification checks. Every support session booked and invoiced through Mable is covered by insurances arranged by Mable.
• Agree on costs directly. There are no set support rates on Mable. Support workers set their own rates which vary based on experience, qualifications, and service complexity. You can discuss and agree on rates with your family member’s support workers.

Step 5: Plan for changing needs

Palliative care needs can change, sometimes quickly. It may help to discuss possible changes with your family member’s clinical team early and keep some flexibility around practical support, such as the option to add more hours or overnight cover.

Mable's platform makes it straightforward to adjust bookings and connect with additional support workers if your loved one needs more support.

How do I prepare my home for palliative care?

Some practical changes may make palliative care at home more comfortable for your loved one and more manageable for you.

You may like to consider the following changes. Your family member’s GP or palliative care team may be able to offer advice that suits their situation:

• Comfort and access: Make sure the bed and resting areas are easy to access.
• Staying organised: Keep medicines, medical equipment and supplies organised and within reach.
• Equipment: Ask your loved one’s treating GP or an occupational therapist whether equipment such as a hospital bed, shower chair or other mobility aids may help with comfort or care.
• Safer movements: Remove trip hazards and keep pathways clear.
• Planning for rest: Think about how family members providing care will get enough rest and where an overnight support worker could rest if needed.

What should you remember when arranging palliative care at home?

Having the right mix of palliative clinical care and day-to-day support may help your loved one remain at home in greater comfort and give you more meaningful moments together.

If your family needs extra help at home, you can connect with an independent support worker through Mable for personal care, overnight support, companionship or day-to-day assistance.

When you’re ready, start your search for an independent support worker on Mable.