Wangaratta Private Hospital’s Palliative Care Unit has been completely furbished, and is now a dedicated hospital space providing specialised care for patients with life limiting illnesses.

It's a separate suite for people to give them comfort with a sense of homeliness around their family in their final days or weeks of life at the hospital.

Wangaratta Private Hospital CEO Jonelle Hill-Uebergang explained that staff and the friends of the hospital volunteers wanted to make it less clinical and homely, providing health care for patients.

There is a comfortable, tranquil bedroom, with an attached kitchenette and sitting room for family and carers, that offers the privacy needed at the end of their loved one’s life.

"Family will and can look after their loved one at home and some want to stay at home but sometimes it becomes to hard for the family," Ms Hill-Uebergang said.

"Here the family can still care for them but in an environment that is supported by staff 24 hours a day so the family can get some rest.

"It can be a really exhausting time for the family and for the patient not wanting to burden their family as well."

A chaplaincy service is also offered with volunteer Wendy Toppin, who can be called to see people who are grieving, including staff who need assistance.

She has a wealth of experience as she was as nurse for 44 years, including work in emergency trauma in high impact areas.

Wendy did a course through Ramsay after she applied for a scholarship as she has an interest in palliative care and end of life care.

"When I was general nurse I had to be very task orientated, trying to get everything done, but I didn't have time to sit with patients or families, but as a chaplain I can now do this and spend time with them."

The training of staff in palliative care encompasses a person’s fatigue, anxiety, oral care, reduced mobility, delirium, and mood changes associated with the disease, the medication, pain and nausea.

Two doctors, who have been instrumental helping patients with palliative care needs and their families, are doctors Andrew Hebbard and Paul Chavez.

Medical physician Andrew Hebbard said this is the only facility of its kind in the district where people can go in a hospice type environment when they are dying.

"A lot of people come here if they've been admitted to the private hospital palliative unit and they've deteriorated, or for private patients who are either at the public hospital or they are at home and are admitted directly via local GPs or local physicians," Dr Hebbard said.

Dr Chavez said the idea is to improve the access to palliative care in the community, not only people in the Rural City of Wangaratta but the whole North East region.

"It helps us free up the pressure on public hospital beds but at the same time provide services to the community if care is no longer an option at home," he said.

"It's a team effort and and it's very rewarding for all involved to be able to provide the services for families and their patients."

Active fundraising through the sale of goods at markets by the friends of the hospital volunteers has been vital to improve the personal touch of the space.

The donation of a handmade quilt to every patient by Wangaratta Dorcas Quilters has also been highly valued by recipients and the palliative care team.