Palliative care's painful lesson:

Juliet Hughes (opinion 13/7) when my mother was dying in unrelenting (yes hopeless) agony last year, we found the palliative care promise was a lie.

It existed in name and theory, but could not or would not help: there was always someone closer to death they needed to help - and besides, more painkillers would only hasten her death.

In desperation I called Dying with Dignity Victoria, which was a tremendous source of support.

Did it mention euthanasia? No, not at all. We received guidance as to what palliative care we could legally demand, and only in the last few days finally got it from the system.

Alana Bourke, Box Hill

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