Unit of competency Outline
Date retreived
23/07/2026 5:48 PM AWST
23/07/2026 5:48 PM AWST
Whilst all efforts are made to provide accurate and timely information from the relevant source/documentation, please be aware that the information supplied may not be the most current version. The accuracy of the detail has not been confirmed by the Department and therefore should not be relied upon without first confirming the contents.
Provide services for people with a life challenging illness
Provide services for people with a life challenging illness
Unit of competency
National Code
HLTCOM509B
HLTCOM509B
State Code
D5828
D5828
TGA Status
Replaced
Replaced
DTWD Status
Deleted
Deleted
State Implementation and Classification
Approved Date
15/07/2014
Field of Education
060313 - Palliative Care Nursing
Original Release Date
15/07/2014
Nominal Hours
50
Description
DescriptorThis unit of competency describes the skills and knowledge required to provide therapeutic support services for clients and carers who are facing life-challenging conditions
Notes
Elements and Performance Criteria
1. Demonstrate awareness of life challenging conditions
- 1.1 Discuss the nature and impacts of a range of life threatening conditions
- 1.2 Review current approaches to treatment/care
- 1.3 Discuss mainstream and complementary health approaches to management of life challenging illnesses
- 1.4 Discuss the stages of death and dying and the grief cycle
- 1.5 Discuss the principles and aims of a palliative approach
- 1.6 Identify psychosocial factors which may effect quality of life
- 1.7 Identify physical factors arising from the disease and treatment process which may effect quality of life
- 1.8 Identify cultural factors which may effect quality of life
- 1.9 Identify practical and financial factors which may effect quality of life
2. Demonstrate knowledge of support resources for client and careers
- 2.1 Recognise the importance of support persons and resources
- 2.2 Outline the scope of and utilisation of available resources
- 2.3 Promote client access to individualised information
3. Develop a care/treatment plan
- 3.1 Gather and record data for inclusion in care plan
- 3.2 Conduct physical examination if relevant/appropriate
- 3.3 Use knowledge of relevant complementary and alternative health care modality to identify an appropriate care/treatment plan
- 3.4 Take into account factors which may interfere with the effectiveness of the care/treatment for each
- 3.5 Take into account possible care/treatment reactions and contra-indications
4. Review factors effecting client wellbeing
- 4.1 Recognise the impact of diagnosis of a life challenging illness
- 4.2 Explain the stages of the healing process
- 4.3 Explain the fundamentals of supportive care
- 4.4 Awareness of possible limitations of the client resources
- 4.5 Support clients capacity to choose treatment/care options that effect wellbeing
5. Communicate need for acute intervention
- 5.1 Understand the importance of timely intervention
- 5.2 Identify changes in client condition
- 5.3 Identify need for intervention
- 5.4 Communicate changes in client condition to carers where appropriate/relevant
- 5.5 Communicate need for additional or other intervention
- 5.6 Refer to other health professionals where appropriate
6. Empower the client to discover and utilise their inner resources
- 6.1 Respect client treatment choices
- 6.2 Employ conscious language
- 6.3 Demonstrate the use of silence, inner and outer
- 3.4 Create therapeutic healing space
- 6.5 Awareness of the transformational potential of the healing process
7. Evaluate services/treatment
- 7.1 Build and maintain a relationship of trust with the client, with active promotion of and strict adherence to confidentiality
- 7.2 Undertake monitoring of client health in line with plan of care
- 7.3 Question client/carer to ascertain their level of comfort and compliance with the treatment
- 7.4 Ascertain degree of improvement or changes in the client's condition and compare with expectations in the plan of care
- 7.5 Provide client with clear information about their level of improvement in relation to their plan of care
- 7.6 Assess and review of treatment as required
- 7.7 Document progress according to requirements
- 7.8 Evaluate impact of ongoing treatment in relation to client's physical, mental and emotional condition and behaviour
- 7.9 Encourage clients to maintain their health by active involvement in their treatment and plan of care
- 7.10 Consult with other treatment practitioners as necessary and appropriate
8. Demonstrate a commitment to self care
- 8.1 Own emotional responses to death and dying are identified, reflected upon, issues raised and discussed with supervisor and/or other appropriate person
- 8.2 Potential impact of personal responses on self and others is acknowledged and actioned as appropriate
- 8.3 Demonstrate strategies for self care including debriefing
- 8.4 Identify the need for additional assistance and emotional support
- 8.5 Identify practitioner/ client boundary issues
- 8.6 Identify conflict between professional demands and personal and family commitments
- 8.7 Demonstrate ability to process ethical and moral dilemmas
RANGE STATEMENT
The Range Statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole. It allows for different work environments and situations that may affect performance. Add any essential operating conditions that may be present with training and assessment depending on the work situation, needs of the candidate, accessibility of the item, and local industry and regional contexts.
Range of life threatening conditions:
Cancer
Illnesses where it is expected that death will be a direct consequence of the specified illness. This definition is inclusive of both a malignant and non-malignant illness. Life limiting illnesses might be expected to shorten an individual's life expectancy (Draft Standards for Providing Quality Palliative Care to all Australians. PCA November 2004).
Palliative approach services include:
Assisting in the psychological, cultural and spiritual aspects of care for the client
Identify the clients, family and carer as the unit of care
Maintaining the client's dignity
Maximising self-care and self-determination for the client
Participating in a team approach to address the needs of clients, families and carers ensuring a palliative approach
Practice reflects an understanding of the impact of a palliative approach in an organisation
Practice that reflects an understanding of the aims of a palliative approach
Providing support for clients, family, worker and carer using a palliative approach
Recognising symptoms of pain, discomfort and other symptoms and the clients need for pain relief
Recognising the signs that death may be imminent
Seeking advice from appropriate person e.g. supervisor, team leader or palliative care team
Understanding the needs of clients approaching end-of-life
Support resources may include
Family and community resources
Financial resources
Inner resources
Time resources
Strategies for selfcare may include:
Accessing additional for emotional support
Health care treatment
Professional supervision
Respite from the demands of displaying warmth and empathy towards others
Self monitoring and reflection
Support for negotiating moral dilemmas
Support for personal and spiritual growth
Worker emotional responses may include:
A range of emotions that may be demonstrated or displayed as a response to the process of loss and grief, for example:
crying and feelings of sadness
fear, anger, silence and may appear singularly or together and prolong the workers own grief
poor concentration
Client need may include
Acute medical intervention
Comfort
Cultural and spiritual supports
Emotional supports
Pastoral care
Personal care and hygiene
Personal supports and relationships.
Sexuality and Intimacy supports
Social activities.
Treatment and support options may include
Family, friends, community, workplace
Financial
Intellectual,
Time resource
Psychosocial factors affecting quality of life may include
Anxiety, depression, PTSD, risk of suicide
Body image, self-concept and sexuality
Denial of condition
Family, social and workplace support
Fear and stress experienced by family members, barriers to clients
Gender issues
Self concept and body image
Sexuality issues
Social impairment
Physical factors arising from disease and treatment process affecting quality of life may include:
Bowel problems
Cognitive problems
Devitalisation
Disfigurement
Fatigue
Incontinence
Lymphedema
Malnutrition
Nausea and vomiting
Odour
Oral symptoms
Pain
Pregnancy, lactation and fertility issues
Respiratory problems
Sleep problems
Stage of life issues
Cultural factors effecting quality of life may include
Communication
Cultural sensitivities about diagnosis and treatment
Knowledge of interpreter services
Language barriers
Practical and financial factors affecting quality of life may include
Access to treatment and resources
Costs associated with diagnosis and treatment, supportive therapies, prostheses, and aids
Costs associated with travel and accommodation
Discrimination with regard to insurance, business dealings, access to loans
Geographical location isolation
Loss of income
Strategies for self care may include
Access intervention if needed
Attention to nutrition, adequate sleep and exercise
Context for personal and spiritual growth
Professional supervision
Reflective practice
Ethical issues may include:
Conflict between the client's and/or family's wishes and/or practitioner feelings
Conflict that may occur in relation to personal values and decisions made by or for the client
Decisions regarding medical treatment
The Range Statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole. It allows for different work environments and situations that may affect performance. Add any essential operating conditions that may be present with training and assessment depending on the work situation, needs of the candidate, accessibility of the item, and local industry and regional contexts.
Range of life threatening conditions:
Cancer
Illnesses where it is expected that death will be a direct consequence of the specified illness. This definition is inclusive of both a malignant and non-malignant illness. Life limiting illnesses might be expected to shorten an individual's life expectancy (Draft Standards for Providing Quality Palliative Care to all Australians. PCA November 2004).
Palliative approach services include:
Assisting in the psychological, cultural and spiritual aspects of care for the client
Identify the clients, family and carer as the unit of care
Maintaining the client's dignity
Maximising self-care and self-determination for the client
Participating in a team approach to address the needs of clients, families and carers ensuring a palliative approach
Practice reflects an understanding of the impact of a palliative approach in an organisation
Practice that reflects an understanding of the aims of a palliative approach
Providing support for clients, family, worker and carer using a palliative approach
Recognising symptoms of pain, discomfort and other symptoms and the clients need for pain relief
Recognising the signs that death may be imminent
Seeking advice from appropriate person e.g. supervisor, team leader or palliative care team
Understanding the needs of clients approaching end-of-life
Support resources may include
Family and community resources
Financial resources
Inner resources
Time resources
Strategies for selfcare may include:
Accessing additional for emotional support
Health care treatment
Professional supervision
Respite from the demands of displaying warmth and empathy towards others
Self monitoring and reflection
Support for negotiating moral dilemmas
Support for personal and spiritual growth
Worker emotional responses may include:
A range of emotions that may be demonstrated or displayed as a response to the process of loss and grief, for example:
crying and feelings of sadness
fear, anger, silence and may appear singularly or together and prolong the workers own grief
poor concentration
Client need may include
Acute medical intervention
Comfort
Cultural and spiritual supports
Emotional supports
Pastoral care
Personal care and hygiene
Personal supports and relationships.
Sexuality and Intimacy supports
Social activities.
Treatment and support options may include
Family, friends, community, workplace
Financial
Intellectual,
Time resource
Psychosocial factors affecting quality of life may include
Anxiety, depression, PTSD, risk of suicide
Body image, self-concept and sexuality
Denial of condition
Family, social and workplace support
Fear and stress experienced by family members, barriers to clients
Gender issues
Self concept and body image
Sexuality issues
Social impairment
Physical factors arising from disease and treatment process affecting quality of life may include:
Bowel problems
Cognitive problems
Devitalisation
Disfigurement
Fatigue
Incontinence
Lymphedema
Malnutrition
Nausea and vomiting
Odour
Oral symptoms
Pain
Pregnancy, lactation and fertility issues
Respiratory problems
Sleep problems
Stage of life issues
Cultural factors effecting quality of life may include
Communication
Cultural sensitivities about diagnosis and treatment
Knowledge of interpreter services
Language barriers
Practical and financial factors affecting quality of life may include
Access to treatment and resources
Costs associated with diagnosis and treatment, supportive therapies, prostheses, and aids
Costs associated with travel and accommodation
Discrimination with regard to insurance, business dealings, access to loans
Geographical location isolation
Loss of income
Strategies for self care may include
Access intervention if needed
Attention to nutrition, adequate sleep and exercise
Context for personal and spiritual growth
Professional supervision
Reflective practice
Ethical issues may include:
Conflict between the client's and/or family's wishes and/or practitioner feelings
Conflict that may occur in relation to personal values and decisions made by or for the client
Decisions regarding medical treatment
EVIDENCE GUIDE
The evidence guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the Performance Criteria, Required Skills and Knowledge, the Range Statement and the Assessment Guidelines for this Training Package.
Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate this competency unit:
The individual being assessed must provide evidence of specified essential knowledge as well as skills
Observation of workplace performance is essential for assessment of this unit
Consistency of performance should be demonstrated over the required range of situations relevant to the workplace
Where, for reasons of safety, space, or access to equipment and resources, assessment takes place away from the workplace, the assessment environment should represent workplace conditions as closely as possible
Assessment of sole practitioners must include a range of clinical situations and different client groups covering at minimum, age, culture and gender
Assessment of sole practitioners must consider their unique workplace context, including:
interaction with others in the broader professional community as part of the sole practitioner's workplace
scope of practice as detailed in the qualification and component competency units
holistic/integrated assessment including:
working within the practice framework
performing a health assessment
assessing the client
planning treatment
providing treatment
Context of and specific resources for assessment:
An appropriately stocked and equipped clinic or simulated clinic environment
Relevant resource and information material
Relevant paper -based/ video assessment material
Qualified assessors
Method of assessment
Observation in the work place (if possible)
Written assignments/projects or questioning should be used to assess knowledge
Case study and scenario as a basis for discussion of issues and strategies to contribute to best practice
Clinical skills involving direct client care are to be assessed initially in a simulated clinical setting (laboratory). If successful, a second assessment is to be conducted during workplace application under direct supervision
Access and equity considerations:
All workers in the health industry should be aware of access and equity issues in relation to their own area of work
All workers should develop their ability to work in a culturally diverse environment
In recognition of particular health issues facing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, workers should be aware of cultural, historical and current issues impacting on health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
Assessors and trainers must take into account relevant access and equity issues, in particular relating to factors impacting on health of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander clients and communities
Related units:
This unit should be assessed in conjunction with competency unit(s) related to planning/delivery of the specific complementary and alternative health care service being undertaken
The evidence guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the Performance Criteria, Required Skills and Knowledge, the Range Statement and the Assessment Guidelines for this Training Package.
Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate this competency unit:
The individual being assessed must provide evidence of specified essential knowledge as well as skills
Observation of workplace performance is essential for assessment of this unit
Consistency of performance should be demonstrated over the required range of situations relevant to the workplace
Where, for reasons of safety, space, or access to equipment and resources, assessment takes place away from the workplace, the assessment environment should represent workplace conditions as closely as possible
Assessment of sole practitioners must include a range of clinical situations and different client groups covering at minimum, age, culture and gender
Assessment of sole practitioners must consider their unique workplace context, including:
interaction with others in the broader professional community as part of the sole practitioner's workplace
scope of practice as detailed in the qualification and component competency units
holistic/integrated assessment including:
working within the practice framework
performing a health assessment
assessing the client
planning treatment
providing treatment
Context of and specific resources for assessment:
An appropriately stocked and equipped clinic or simulated clinic environment
Relevant resource and information material
Relevant paper -based/ video assessment material
Qualified assessors
Method of assessment
Observation in the work place (if possible)
Written assignments/projects or questioning should be used to assess knowledge
Case study and scenario as a basis for discussion of issues and strategies to contribute to best practice
Clinical skills involving direct client care are to be assessed initially in a simulated clinical setting (laboratory). If successful, a second assessment is to be conducted during workplace application under direct supervision
Access and equity considerations:
All workers in the health industry should be aware of access and equity issues in relation to their own area of work
All workers should develop their ability to work in a culturally diverse environment
In recognition of particular health issues facing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, workers should be aware of cultural, historical and current issues impacting on health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
Assessors and trainers must take into account relevant access and equity issues, in particular relating to factors impacting on health of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander clients and communities
Related units:
This unit should be assessed in conjunction with competency unit(s) related to planning/delivery of the specific complementary and alternative health care service being undertaken
Replaces
| State Code | National Code | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| C9135 | HLTCOM509A | Provide services for people with a life challenging illness | Unit of competency |
| State Code | National Code | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| D094 | HLT51407 | Diploma of Aromatherapy | Qualification |
| D095 | HLT51507 | Diploma of Kinesiology | Qualification |
| J018 | CHC41112 | Certificate IV in Pastoral Care | Qualification |
| J109 | HLT51712 | Diploma of Reflexology | Qualification |
| D087 | HLT50307 | Diploma of Remedial Massage | Qualification |