About PCV

Palliative Care Victoria is the peak body for palliative care and end of life care. Established in 1981, we are an incorporated association and charity supported by the Victorian Government, organisation and individual members, other groups and funders.

A founding and current member of Palliative Care Australia, we also contribute to national policies and initiatives in collaboration with the other state and territory palliative care peak bodies.

  • PCV and the Australian Government subscribe to the World Health Organisation’s definition of palliative care:  

    Palliative care is an approach that improves the quality of life of patients and their families facing the problems associated with life-threatening illness, through the prevention and relief of suffering by means of early identification and impeccable assessment and treatment of pain and other problems, physical, psychosocial and spiritual. 

  • Palliative care is high quality health care and support for people living with a life-limiting illness and their families.

    Palliative care is holistic and helps people to live as well as they can by managing pain and symptoms to ensure their quality of life is maintained as the illness progresses. 

    Palliative care identifies and treats symptoms and issues associated with life-limiting illness which may be physical, emotional, spiritual or social. Palliative care is a family-centred model of care, meaning that family, loved ones and carers can also receive practical and emotional support. 

    Palliative care is about maintaining quality of life. The aim of palliative care is neither to speed up, nor postpone death. Rather, the focus is on living as well as possible, for as long as possible.

  • Palliative care identifies and treats symptoms which may be physical, emotional, spiritual or social.

    Palliative care is based on individual needs, so the services offered will differ. They may include:

    • Relief of pain and other symptoms 

    • Medication management 

    • Food and nutrition advice and support 

    • Care and education to support better mobility and sleeping 

    • Planning for future medical treatment decisions and goals of care 

    • Resources such as equipment needed to aid care at home 

    • Assistance for families to come together to talk about sensitive issues 

    • Links to other services such as home help and financial support 

    • Support for people to meet cultural obligations 

    • Support for emotional, social and spiritual concerns 

    • Counselling and grief support for the person with the illness, their family and carers 

    • Referrals to respite care services 

    • Bereavement care to the family and carers once the person has died. 

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