Printable Patient Resources

The following resources are available on the web and can be printed off to give to your patients and their families. You may want to think about what resources could help now. Over time as needs change you may want to provide other printed materials to support the family.

About palliative care

• What is palliative care?
  Information from Palliative Care Australia
• Australian Charter of Health Care Rights (139kb pdf)
  Brochure from the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Healthcare
• Palliative care
  A patient page from JAMA

Advance care planning

• Create your advance care plan (Select State or Territory of interest)
  From Advance Care Planning Australia website

At the very end of life

• Patient summary of treatment recommendations near the end of life
  From the American College of Physicians
• Confusion and terminal restlessness (153kb pdf)
  A brochure for caregivers from Palliative Care Victoria
• The process of dying (2.33MB pdf)
  A brochure for caregivers from Palliative Care Victoria
• Nearing the End of Life
  Web page produced by the American Cancer Society

Bereavement, grief and loss

• Understanding grief
  From Palliative Care Australia
• Needing help after someone has died? Booklet (1.65MB pdf)
  From CentreLink Summary of relevant services and other useful information

Carers

• Resources for carers (1.40MB pdf)
  A pamphlet from Palliative Care Victoria
• A journey lived (1.44MB pdf)
  A booklet of carers’ stories from Palliative Care Australia
• Practical caring: At the end of life (222kb pdf)
  Fact sheet for carers from CareSearch
• Why information matters: At the end of life (273kb pdf)
  Fact sheet for carers from CareSearch
• Looking after yourself (1.39MB pdf)
  A pamphlet from Palliative Care Victoria
• How and why to get family to help with caring (56kb pdf)
  Information sheet for carers from Carers Victoria

Complementary Therapies

• Complementary medicines - tell your healthcare professionals 
  Fact sheet produced by the Better Health Channel
• Complementary and alternative medicine: making informed decisions (64kb pdf)
  A fact sheet for patients and families from the Cancer Council Victoria

Discussing palliative care

• Asking questions can help 
  A question prompt list from Palliative Care Australia
• How can I support my friend or family member? (615kb pdf)
  An information brochure for families and friends from Palliative Care Australia
• Finding the words - starting a conversation when your cancer has progressed
  A guide from NBOCC to help women with secondary breast or ovarian cancer talk about how palliative care might help them.

Disease specific issues

• Renal
  Comprehensive Conservative Care
  Information from Kidney Health Australia
  Factsheets and Photosheets
  Information from Kidney Health Australia
  Withdrawing from dialysis treatment (1.81MB pdf)
  A booklet from Renal Resource Centre, NSW

Funerals

• Understanding funerals (64kb pdf)
  Fact sheet from the Cancer Council NSW
• Planning a funeral (1.01MB pdf)
  Fact sheet from the Seniors Information Service NSW
• Needing help after someone has died? (1.65MB pdf)
  From Centrelink

Medicines

• Medicines - safety issues
  ​Fact sheet produced by the Better Health Channel

Pain

• Overcoming Cancer Pain - A guide for people with cancer, their families and friends (314kb pdf)
  Booklet from the Cancer Council of NSW
• Facts about morphine and other opioid medicines in palliative care
  Brochure from Palliative Care Australia
• About pain and the help available (1.66MB pdf)
  A brochure from Palliative Care Victoria
• Sample pain diary (101kb pdf)
  From the American Cancer Society and example of a pain diary. This is suitable for any person with pain, not just those with cancer

Symptoms other than pain

• Nausea and vomiting (155kb pdf)
  An information brochure from Palliative Care Victoria
• Nutrition in palliative care (1.39MB pdf)
  An information brochure for carers from Palliative Care Victoria
• Anorexia in advanced illness (153kb pdf)
• An information brochure from Palliative Care Victoria
• Confusion and terminal restlessness (153kb pdf)
  An information brochure for carers from Palliative Care Victoria

Last updated 29 October 2020