What Is Palliative Care? A Guide for Australians and Their Families

When a serious illness changes what's possible, the focus of care changes too. Instead of trying to cure, the goal becomes something equally important: making every day as comfortable, meaningful and full as it can be. That's the heart of palliative care. And for many Australians receiving that care at home, surrounded by family and familiar routines, makes all the difference.

In this guide, we explain what palliative care is, what it involves, why so many Australians prefer to receive it at home, and how Just Better Care works alongside your medical and hospital teams, and your family, to support you through every stage of the journey.

What is palliative care?

Palliative care is specialised support for people living with a serious or life-limiting illness. The goal is not to cure the illness, but to improve quality of life by managing pain, relieving symptoms, and addressing the emotional, psychological, social and spiritual aspects of a person's wellbeing.

The World Health Organization (WHO) defines palliative care as an approach that improves the quality of life of patients and their families facing problems associated with life-threatening illness. It aims to prevent and relieve suffering through early identification, careful assessment and treatment of pain and other physical, psychosocial and spiritual concerns.

It is important to understand that palliative care is not just end-of-life care. It can and should begin early, often alongside active treatment such as chemotherapy or radiation therapy. A person can receive palliative care for months or even years before the final stages of an illness.

Palliative care is delivered by a multidisciplinary team, which may include doctors, nurses, social workers, allied health professionals, chaplains and trained support workers. It can be provided in a range of settings: a hospital, a hospice, a residential aged care facility or, increasingly, the place most Australians prefer, their own home.

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Who is palliative care for?

Palliative care is not limited to any particular condition or age group. It is for anyone living with a serious, life-limiting or chronic progressive illness, including:

• Cancer
• Heart failure and cardiovascular disease
• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
• Dementia, including younger onset dementia
• Motor neurone disease (MND)
• Parkinson's disease
• Kidney or liver failure
• Neurological conditions
• Stroke

It is also available to people of any age and can be appropriate even when a cure is still being pursued. The key question is not "how long does this person have?" but rather "how can we help this person live as well as possible right now?"

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What does palliative care involve?

Good palliative care treats the whole person, not just their medical condition. It addresses four interconnected dimensions of a person's experience.

A palliative care plan is built around what matters most to the individual. That means talking honestly about what a person hopes for, what they want to avoid, and what will make each day as comfortable and meaningful as possible. This person-centred approach is at the core of how Just Better Care delivers support.

Palliative care also includes bereavement support for family members and carers after a person passes. The support does not end at death, it continues into the grief journey for those left behind.

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Palliative care at home: preference and effectiveness

For most Australians, home is where they most want to be during serious illness. Research consistently confirms this. According to Palliative Care Australia (PCA), 70 per cent of Australians say they would prefer to spend their final months and weeks at home. Yet in 2022, of the 61,100 patients receiving palliative care nationally, only 22 per cent died at home. A striking gap between preference and reality.

This gap is not simply about preference. There is strong evidence that home-based palliative care is also more effective in reducing unnecessary health system use. PCA research shows that people who are able to access care at home:

• Visit the emergency department between 2 and 12 per cent less in their last year of life
• Spend between 4.5 and 7.5 fewer days in hospital in their last year of life
• Are twice as likely to die at home, in the place they wished to be

The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) reports that palliative care-related hospitalisations have increased by 46 per cent between 2015-16 and 2023-24, and that public hospitals spent $594.5 million on admitted patient palliative care in 2022-23. Shifting more of this care into the home environment, where people prefer to be and outcomes are strong, is both a quality of life priority and a systemic one.

The Australian Government has recognised this through programs including the Greater Choice for At Home Palliative Care Measure (2021-2025) and, most recently, the Support at Home End-of-Life Pathway. Both initiatives are designed to make home-based palliative care accessible to more Australians.

At Just Better Care, supporting people to remain in their own home during serious illness is core to our mission. Our services are designed to complement the work of your medical team and give you and your family the practical and personal support that makes home a safe, comfortable and dignified place to be. Learn more about our home care services and aged care support.

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The Support at Home End-of-Life Pathway

One of the most significant recent reforms to aged care in Australia is the Support at Home End-of-Life Pathway, which commenced on 1 November 2025. This pathway is a dedicated component of the new Support at Home program designed to ensure that older Australians nearing the end of life can remain at home with the right support around them.

Palliative Care Australia has described the pathway as a significant and positive reform, consistent with strong community preference to receive both aged care and palliative care at home for as long as possible.

Who is eligible?

To access the End-of-Life Pathway, a person must meet the following criteria as confirmed by their doctor or nurse practitioner:

What does the pathway provide?

Eligible participants can access up to $25,000 in government funding over a 12-week period, which may be extended to 16 weeks if funding remains available. This is the highest daily funding classification within the Support at Home framework.

• General nursing care and clinical support
• Personal care (showering, dressing, grooming, toileting)
• Domestic assistance (cleaning, laundry)
• Meal preparation and delivery
• Physiotherapy and occupational therapy
• Transport to appointments
• Assistive technology (if clinically prescribed)

Importantly, clinical supports such as nursing care are fully funded by the government under this pathway. A means-tested contribution applies to independence and everyday living services.

How to access it

Access to the End-of-Life Pathway begins with your GP or nurse practitioner. They will complete the End-of-Life Pathway Form and submit it via My Aged Care as a high-priority assessment. Once approved, your home care provider, like Just Better Care, works with you to develop a care plan and begin services quickly.

The pathway is available to people already receiving Support at Home services, as well as those new to the aged care system. If you are already a Just Better Care client, our team can help facilitate an urgent Support Plan Review to transition you to the pathway without delay.

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How Just Better Care supports palliative care at home

Just Better Care is one of Australia's leading home care and disability support networks, operating through locally based franchises across every state and territory. We have been supporting people to remain safely and comfortably at home through serious illness for many years -- and we understand that this kind of care requires more than a checklist. It requires people who are trained, compassionate and genuinely invested in the wellbeing of your whole family.

Our team does not deliver specialist palliative care. That role belongs to your treating clinicians, palliative care nurses and allied health professionals. What we do is provide the practical, everyday support that allows you to remain home safely while your medical team focuses on symptom management and clinical needs. Together, we form a complete circle of care around you.

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Working with your medical and hospital teams

Palliative care at home works best when it is coordinated. Your GP, specialist palliative care team, hospital discharge team and your home care provider each play a distinct but interconnected role. At Just Better Care, we take our part in that coordination seriously.

• Reviewing discharge summaries and care instructions from your hospital team
• Liaising with your GP and specialist palliative care providers to align our support with your clinical plan
• Reporting changes in your condition or needs to your medical team promptly
• Attending to advance care directives and making sure your expressed wishes are respected and documented within our care systems
• Collaborating with state and territory palliative care services, which provide specialist clinical support that sits alongside our home care services

Our care partners coordinate services across disciplines and work closely with your medical team and state-based palliative care providers. The goal is that nothing falls through the cracks and that you and your family always know who to call. If you are unsure who to contact or how to connect with palliative care services in your area, the Palliative Care Australia National Service Directory provides a searchable database of services by state and territory. Your local Just Better Care team can also help guide you in the right direction.

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Supporting your family and loved ones

Serious illness does not happen to one person in isolation. It ripples outward to everyone who loves them. Partners, adult children, siblings and close friends often find themselves in the role of informal carers. They hold enormous responsibility, often while managing their own grief, work commitments and exhaustion.

At Just Better Care, we see family carers as part of the care team, not bystanders. We work hard to ensure they are supported too, and our services are specifically designed to take the pressure off the people closest to your loved one.

Carer burnout is a real and serious risk when someone is providing full-time or intensive support to a loved one. Our respite services are not an add-on. They are a core part of how we help families sustain the care they give over weeks and months. Whether you need a few hours a week or more intensive relief, our respite care team can build a schedule that works for your situation.

After a loved one passes, palliative care does not stop. Bereavement support is a formal part of the palliative care framework. This includes counselling, grief programs and connection to community services. Your palliative care team can guide your family toward the right support in the weeks and months that follow.

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Advance care planning: making your wishes known

One of the most important, and most frequently delayed, conversations in palliative care is advance care planning. An advance care plan (also called an advance care directive in some states) is a document that records your preferences, values and wishes about your future care, in case a time comes when you are unable to communicate them yourself.

• Gives your medical and care teams clear guidance on your wishes
• Reduces the burden on family members who might otherwise have to make difficult decisions on your behalf
• Helps ensure your care reflects what matters most to you, including your preferred place of care and what treatments you do or do not want
• Can be updated at any time as your situation or wishes change

Advance Care Planning Australia provides state and territory specific information, forms, and guidance for individuals, families and health professionals. We recommend speaking with your GP about starting this process early. Ideally before a health crisis, when you have time and space to think carefully about your choices.

At Just Better Care, we respect and work within the framework of your advance care directive at all times. When we develop your care plan, your documented wishes are at the centre of every decision we make.

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Frequently asked questions about palliative care

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