Palliative care, Barwon South Western Region
Barwon South Western Region Palliative Care Consortium believes everyone with a life-threatening illness deserves access to quality palliative care and support that’s innovative and meets their needs.
The Geelong-based consortium, which includes the six major palliative care providers across the region, is committed to ensuring this happens by working to continually develop and improve palliative care services for the residents of Victoria’s Barwon and South West.
The service providers deliver a wide range of co-ordinated care and support in varied environments, including people’s homes within their community as well as hospitals and hospices.
Multi-disciplinary teams take a whole-person approach with a strong focus on helping the patient achieve the best quality of life possible. The consortium strongly supports the principle of clients making informed decisions about care options and management, including the vital choice of where they want to receive that care.
While the client is central, the consortium and its agency members also provide support services in areas including grief and bereavement for family and carers of people living with life-threatening illnesses, recognising they play a key role in palliative care’s pathway.
The consortium offers a range of resources, education and training for health professionals and information for prospective volunteers. It keeps people – patients, families, carers and health professionals – up to date with the latest palliative care news and events and provides easy links to quality organisations where people can source information on palliative and hospice care.
The consortium sees respectful relationships with clients and their families as an important part of delivering quality services and building strong, caring communities.
“We respectfully acknowledge the traditional custodians, Gunditjmara and Wathaurong Aboriginal community elders past and present who have been integral in this region’s history.”
– Barwon South Western Region Palliative Care Consortium