What is a mobile palliative care team?
A mobile palliative care team (MPT) is a specialised service that looks after seriously ill and dying people at home. The aim is to relieve symptoms such as pain, breathlessness or nausea, to maintain quality of life and to ease the burden on relatives. Home-based palliative care is therefore an important pillar of hospice and palliative care provision in Austria.
Mobile palliative care teams usually work on a multi-professional basis. They complement – rather than replace – existing medical care, for example by GPs or home nursing services in Austria. They provide advice, coordinate care and, in complex situations, also become directly involved in treatment.
Who belongs to a mobile palliative care team?
A typical team brings together professionals from various disciplines:
- doctors with additional training in palliative medicine
- registered nurses with palliative care qualifications
- social workers
- psychologists or staff trained in psychotherapy
- chaplains or pastoral carers (on request)
- volunteer hospice companions (via cooperating hospice associations)
This diversity makes it possible to address physical, emotional, social and spiritual needs equally – a core principle of palliative care.
Tasks: What does a mobile palliative care team provide?
The tasks of a mobile palliative care team are wide-ranging and tailored to the individual situation of those affected.
Medical symptom control
The focus is on relieving distressing symptoms. These include:
- chronic pain
- breathlessness
- nausea and vomiting
- exhaustion (fatigue)
- sleep disturbances, restlessness and anxiety
The team advises on medication, adjusts it in consultation with the treating physicians and can respond quickly in acute situations.
Nursing advice
The specialised nurses support care at home – for example with wound care, mouth care, positioning, or the use of port systems and pain pumps. In doing so, they complement the standard services of home nursing in Austria.
Psychosocial support
A serious illness does not affect the body alone. Mobile palliative care teams offer conversations, help with addressing fears and provide support in family conflicts or difficult decision-making situations.
Advice on legal and organisational matters
This includes topics such as:
- advance directives and powers of attorney
- applying for care allowance and social benefits
- organising aids (e.g. care bed, wheelchair)
- referral to further services
Relieving the burden on relatives
Family carers often reach their limits. The mobile palliative care team listens, provides information about respite options (e.g. day hospice, inpatient hospice, short-term care) and is available in times of crisis.
Who is this care intended for?
Mobile palliative care teams support people of all ages with a progressive, incurable illness and a limited life expectancy. Common diagnoses include advanced cancer, severe heart, lung or kidney disease, and neurological conditions such as ALS or advanced dementia.
The following conditions usually apply:
- a wish to be cared for at home
- existing GP-based care
- a supportive social environment or organised nursing care
Such support can also be useful while tumour-specific treatments are ongoing – palliative care does not exclude active treatment.
Procedure: How is care arranged?
1. Referral
A request can be made by various people – by patients themselves, by relatives, by the GP, by hospitals or by nursing services. Contact is made directly with the mobile palliative care team responsible for the region.
2. First home visit
During the first home visit, a doctor and a nurse gain an overview of the medical situation, the living environment and the wishes of those affected. Based on this, an individual care plan is drawn up.
3. Ongoing support
Depending on need, home visits take place regularly or on an as-needed basis. Many teams also offer telephone support – sometimes outside regular working hours. Care is closely coordinated with GPs, home nursing services and, where necessary, hospitals.
4. Crisis situations
If new symptoms or stresses arise, the team can respond at short notice – for example by adjusting therapy, providing additional visits, or arranging transfer to a palliative care unit or hospice if home care is no longer sufficient.
Mobile palliative care team, hospice and home nursing – what is the difference?
These terms are often confused. A rough overview:
- Home nursing in Austria: general medical home nursing, e.g. dressing changes, injections, basic care.
- Mobile palliative care team: specialised advice and co-treatment in complex palliative situations, in addition to existing care.
- Hospice team (voluntary): psychosocial support of seriously ill people and their relatives by trained volunteers.
- Inpatient hospice / palliative care unit: inpatient care when support at home is no longer feasible.
Ideally, these services work hand in hand.
Costs and legal framework
In Austria, care provided by a mobile palliative care team is generally free of charge for patients. Funding comes from the federal provinces, social insurance bodies and, in part, from organisations such as Caritas, Hilfswerk, Volkshilfe, the Red Cross or hospice associations. The specific structures may vary by region – information is available from GPs, hospital social services or the umbrella organisation Hospice Austria.
What relatives should know
Caring for a seriously ill person is a demanding task. The following points may help:
- Seek support early – not only when an acute crisis arises.
- Talk openly about wishes, fears and limits.
- Make use of respite services, also to look after your own health.
- Address organisational matters (advance directives, powers of attorney) in good time.
- Do not hesitate to contact the mobile palliative care team if you are unsure.
Conclusion
A mobile palliative care team can help seriously ill people receive care in familiar surroundings while noticeably easing the burden on their relatives. Close cooperation with GPs and home nursing services creates a care network that combines medical, nursing and human aspects. Anyone who feels they might benefit from this form of home-based palliative care should speak to their treating physician.
This article does not replace medical advice.