Karuna services
Karuna Hospice Service provides person and family centred home-based (where you live) compassionate, specialised palliative care to patients with active, progressive and advanced disease, who have little or no prospect of a cure. The Karuna team understands the impact of a terminal diagnosis on individuals, their carers and family members. Therefore, Karuna care aims to:
- Optimise quality of life
- Alleviate pain and suffering
- Provide care that that is tailored to individual and families needs
- Enhance emotional and spiritual well-being
- Respect end of life wishes.
We are committed to providing an inclusive service that is open to people of all ages, faiths, genders, cultural backgrounds, LGBTQIA+ identities and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders.
Service hours and location
The service is offered seven days a week at no cost and currently covers Brisbane North and into Caboolture, Redcliffe and Bribie Island.
Community services team
The Karuna team consists of specialist palliative care nurses, a palliative doctor, social workers, spiritual care worker and counsellors. This multidisciplinary team works in collaboration with your GP and/or specialist to provide the following services:
- Assessment of health, social and emotional needs
- Pain and symptom management
- After hours nursing support
- Emotional support and counselling
- Bereavement support
- Spiritual care
- Practical and social support
- Carer education, training and support
- Linkage to other community and social services
- Volunteer Support Service
Eligibility and referrals
Our services are best suited to people who:
- have poor or deteriorating health because of one or multiple life limiting conditions, despite treatment and management (e.g. Supportive and Palliative Care Indicators Tool – SPICT™)
- wish to focus on quality of life: strengthening of physical, emotional, social and spiritual well being;
- have a GP or specialist doctor that will hold the primary governance of their on-going medical support;
- have consented to a referral to Karuna for in-home support (and/or substitute decision maker);
- reside within the Karuna catchment area of Brisbane central/north, Redcliffe, Caboolture and/or Bribie Island* (Metro North Hospital and Health Service Map).
*People referred to Karuna that reside within this area will receive care at no cost to them. If the person resides outside of this catchment, they still may be able to receive Karuna in-home palliative care however there may be a fee involved.
A GP or medical specialist can complete referrals. You can also self-refer by completing a self-referral enquiry HERE.
If you are needing urgent palliative care support, please ask your treating doctor to contact us directly on 07 3632 8300.
Help us improve our services
We appreciate feedback on the services you and your family member receive from Karuna, as it provides us with the opportunity to continuously improve our services.
CLICK HERE to complete our Feedback Form.