The community palliative care team at Albury Wodonga Health has teamed up with the Birallee Park Neighbourhood House to talk about end of life matters.
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The first of a two-part series took place last week, and on Friday speakers will present on voluntary assisted dying, aged care services and dementia, legal matters and spiritual care.
An occupational therapist who started at Wodonga this year - reducing the waiting list for patients - will also present on the benefits of therapy for palliative care.
AWH clinical nurse specialist Mel Villani, one of four nurses who are part of the Wodonga team, told the group on Friday her role was about helping people achieve quality of life.
"Some of the work we do is around death and dying, but what people often don't think about when they hear the words 'palliative care' is about living well," she said.
"It's all-encompassing; we look at all the domains of their life and consider how their disease might affect them holistically.
"Sometimes we even admit people to the program specifically because of their psychosocial needs."
Traditionally referrals to palliative care did not happen until the final weeks or days of a person's life, but it's no longer the norm.
Ms Villani said some may get involved at the point of diagnosis, and others may leave the program due to curative treatment - for example, a person receiving an organ transplant.
"They may need equipment, have financial concerns, or want to start planning for end of life - there might be a number of things that mean they are part of our program," she said.
The team covers Wodonga, Towong and Indigo, and there are five other teams working in different parts of the North East under the Hume Palliative Care Model.
A new process has been developed with Ambulance Victoria, mainly for the Mitta and Tallangatta regions, where the palliative care team flags patients who may need ambulance assistance.
"If they get a call out, hopefully if we've managed to get onto the GP and have their support, there will be medications at home the ambulance officers can utilise," she said.
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"They can go meet them before they get a call-out.
"The patients have someone to call rather than it being lights and sirens, and everybody knowing.
"It's new and developing ... but so far we've seen some really positive outcomes."
The first session on Friday also included presentations on Elder Rights Advocacy, carer support, bereavement and funeral planning.
For information on this week's session, contact the neighbourhood house on (02) 6059 2590.