Being part of the care team

As a part of this team your voice is important. If you recognise any changes in the person being cared for talk with the palliative care team. If you have any concerns you can ask for a family meeting or case conference to be organised to discuss and plan care.

As a carer you may take on the job of keeping track of any medications taken by the person. A simple form to keep in an easy to find place such as on the fridge can be helpful. Ask a member of your care team to help you fill out a Medicines List. Having easy access to a list of contact details (84kb pdf) for the care team members is also important.

Palliative Care Victoria has produced a guide on supporting people who need palliative care (319kb pdf). Useful tips from the guide on being a carer include:

• Only take on tasks that you feel comfortable in doing.
• The palliative care team can guide you if you would like to try and take on new care related activities.
• If you have questions about caring or your relative’s wellbeing, write them down and discuss them with a member of the palliative care team.