Senate moves on palliative care changes
WHILE palliative care was mostly seen as something only for elderly people, the needs of terminally ill people of all ages need to be taken into account by the Commonwealth, a Senate committee has recommended.
The Community Affairs committee handed down a report recommending 38 changes to the way palliative care is funded, managed and completed by the government and private health providers.
Many of the recommendations covered changes to funding arrangements and the way the government and health system dealt with the needs of the dying.
But one particular recommendation said the home and community care (HACC) program be extended to palliative care patients of all ages, not just the elderly.
