Since July 2017, Silver Chain Group has provided Western Sydney Local Health District’s community palliative care services.
Patients and their families are provided with 24 hour, 7 day a week on-call access to specialist palliative care services at home including practical support for daily activities, support for families and carers, and bereavement support. The Service focuses on patients in their last three months of life and supports patients to die in the place of their choice.
In addition to supporting patients' clinical needs, the Service may include counselling, pastoral care, social and spiritual care for patients and their families. It may also include some equipment needed to provide patients with care in their home.
The Service is free for eligible patients.
You are eligible for the Service if you:
The Service is available for all patients in Western Sydney Local Health District with a life-limiting illness, who are experiencing troublesome symptoms. This can include illnesses such as cancer, chronic lung disease, heart problems, as well as degenerative conditions such as Huntington’s disease, dementia and trauma-related injuries.
The length of time that you receive the Service for depends on your care needs. You may access the Service on and off as needed; if you have started care under the Service it may be paused and restarted as your care needs change. The experience from similar Silver Chain Group services has shown that most patients receive the Service for their final three months of life.
It is important your doctor or other referrer talks to you about your illness and their reasons for referring you to the Service before they refer you. If you have any questions, you should speak with the person who has referred you.
If I am receiving the Silver Chain Group Service, can I be referred back to Western Sydney Local Health District?If the Silver Chain Group is providing you with community palliative care services, you can continue to access Western Sydney Local Health District clinicians, services and programs when you need them. There is no change to the hospital-based palliative care services within Western Sydney Local Health District.
With over 100 years of history, Silver Chain Group is an established non-government organisation with extensive experience in the delivery of community palliative care services.
Following a competitive process, the Silver Chain Group was engaged to provide in-home palliative care support services in Western Sydney Local Health District.
Referrals will be made to the Service by Western Sydney Local Health District, your GP or others involved in your care. Your care will then be provided by Silver Chain Group’s palliative medicine consultants, who will work with other medical practitioners involved in your care. Silver Chain Group will refer patients back to Western Sydney Local Health District or relevant clinicians where needed.
