COMPLETE
Summary
Palliative sedation therapy is the use of medication to decrease a person’s awareness of refractory symptoms to reduce suffering. It is an extraordinary measure managed by a multidisciplinary specialist palliative care team following comprehensive assessment.
This project adapted the Australia & New Zealand Society of Palliative Medicine Inc (ANZSPM) 2017 guidance document on palliative sedation therapy for the Victorian specialist palliative care context.
Outcome
This guidance will help you support the patient, their family and carer to make decisions about care in the last days of life.
It details documentation, patient and family needs and clinical considerations through the important steps involved in palliative sedation therapy, including:
- planning and assessment for palliative sedation therapy
- at time of palliative sedation therapy
- during sedation and after death.
Targets
- 100% of specialist palliative care services are using the statewide guidance document on palliative sedation therapy by October 2019.
- All specialist palliative care services are using the Australia & New Zealand Society of Palliative Medicine Inc (ANZSPM) 2017 guidance document on palliative sedation therapy