About Eastern Palliative Care

Eastern Palliative Care Association Incorporated (EPC) is the specialist community based palliative care service for the Eastern Region of Melbourne. Our services are provided in the local government areas of Boroondara, Manningham, Maroondah, Whitehorse, Monash, Knox and Yarra Ranges.

We support people in their last year of life with a terminal / life-limiting illness who have complex symptoms whether they be physical, psychosocial, emotional or spiritual. EPC is fully accredited through The Australian Council on Health Care Standards (ACHS) ensuring quality, safety and performance at all levels of service delivery.

Eastern Palliative Care is a partnership between the Order of Malta, Outer East Palliative Care Service Inc. and St Vincent’s Hospital (Melbourne) Ltd.

EPC recognises that a person with a terminal / life–limiting illness may choose:

• To be cared for in the comfort of their own home
• To live as normally as possible
• To receive assistance from specialist palliative care nurses to manage symptoms
• To be in the continuing care of their own doctor
• To have the support of their family or caregivers
• To be supported through the decisions and personal adjustments which inevitably accompany serious illness (emotional, social, financial, psychological & spiritual)

Our Purpose

Our Roles

To people with a progressive, life-limiting condition, we provide a holistic, person-centred, specialist palliative care service which:

Our Values

What Is Palliative Care?

Palliative care recognises the special needs of a person with a terminal / life-limiting illness.

The focus of care is on improving the quality of life of clients by assisting with their symptoms and helping them to make changes that will make life easier and more comfortable.

Palliative care aims to support the person to have control of their treatment options and offers support for their carer, family and friends.

It involves trained professionals providing various types of care which may include specialist palliative care doctors, nurses, family support workers, bereavement family support workers, music, massage and occupational therapists. The delivery of care is also supported by specially trained volunteers.

Palliative care is provided in the person’s own home, including residential aged and disability care facilities, depending on where the person is living and where they choose to have their care provided at the end of life.

Palliative care complements the range of medical treatments and services currently available.

Palliative Care:

• Affirms life and regards dying as a normal process
• Neither hastens nor postpones death
• Provides relief from pain and other distressing symptoms
• Integrates the physical, psychological, social, emotional and spiritual aspects of care
• Offers a support system to help people live as actively as possible until death
• Offers a support system to help the family cope during the person’s illness & their own bereavement
• Palliative care is provided to people of all ages who are dying.