Continuity of care: Palliative care in the community

摘要

The majority of people living with a life-limiting illness spend most of their time in the community and would prefer to die at home. General practitioners and generic community nursing service are the lynchpins of primary care. The effectiveness of the interdisciplinary palliative team care has been well demonstrated. What are the challenges for people living with a life-limiting illness when changing sites of care, and what are the difficulties in providing care in the community? How do primary care and specialist teams interface? There are differing models of care. Mechanisms to foster relationships of respect and trust, and to facilitate effective communication are vital if optimal coordinated community care for people living with a life-limiting illness is to occur.