Palliative Care
This is an approach to care at the end of life when an illness is no longer curable. It focuses on you as a person, your needs and what you want, and offers support for the people who are important to you. It’s usually your GP or main consultant who will refer you to a palliative care team. This can happen at any point in the lifespan of your condition.
Palliative care is appropriate at any stage from diagnosis of an illness through to the end of life. It can help to deal with a range of symptoms. For more information or to access palliative care services, contact your GP or healthcare team.
More information on palliative care can be found at The Adult Palliative hub.
The National Clinical Programme for Palliative care aims to ensure that persons with life-limiting conditions and their families can easily access a level of palliative care service that is appropriate to their needs regardless of care setting or diagnosis. More info at HSE Clinical Palliative Care Programme
Read further information on Palliative Care
Palliative care for children
For children, their palliative care needs differ from those of adults. A child may be diagnosed with an incurable illness as a baby, but may live into late adolescence or beyond.
Their physical, emotional, social and educational needs will change as he/she grows. Also, many children with life-limiting illness have disabilities of different kinds, and their needs can vary greatly.
Nurses for Night Care is our free national service for adults and children with illnesses other than cancer who wish to spend their final days at home. Your paediatric team can help you access this service. For details on specialist palliative care services, visit The Children’s Palliative Hub and AIIHPC. (Plus Jack & Jill? LauraLynn? )
Hospice care
When an illness is no longer curable, hospice care helps a person live as fully as possible to the end as well as offering support to your family and those important to you. Hospice care can be provided at home, in hospitals, in community settings, and nursing homes as well as in hospices.
There are eleven inpatient hospices in Ireland. These cater for patients living within their catchment area only. Most hospice/palliative care in Ireland is delivered in the form of home care. Home care services are available in every county.
Find more info on local hospice services on the Irish Association for Palliative Care web site.
Hardship Fund
This limited grant fund can be applied for by a palliative care professional on your behalf if you’re experiencing severe financial hardship as a result of life-limiting illness. Please note: only once-off expenses are considered and applications are assessed on a case-by-case basis. Please call us for more information on (01) 679 3188
