End of Life/Palliative Care

Should you need care and support at the end of your life, you have the right to decide how you wish to be cared for and where you wish to die. End of life care can be provided to you in your own home, in care homes, in hospices or in hospital depending on your situation. However, regardless of where you receive the care it should enable you to live your life in the best possible way before you die.

For more information about end of life care, please click here.

Palliative Care

If you are suffering with a terminal illness, your end of life care plan may include palliative care. Palliative care can provide an excellent support system to cope with your illness, helping you to manage your symptoms as well as providing psychological support to you and your loved ones to make your final days comfortable ones.

Resources to help you make decisions about End of life Care

Planning Ahead

• NHS choices – The how, why and practical issues of advanced care planning.
• National council for palliative care – A guide to planning for your future care.
• Dying Matters -An Organisation which aims to help people talk more openly about dying and making plans for end of life.
• Compassion in Dying – An organisation which provides help and support with preparing for end of life.

End of Life Care

• NHS choices – Guide on End of Life care, including planning ahead and your well being.
• St Catherine’s Hospice – Providing end of life care and illness support to help improve quality of life in your final days.

Financial

• DS1500 – Fast-track Personal Independence Payment for terminally ill.
• Marie Curie – Support for people with any terminal illness and their families.

Preparing for the future

Although it can be difficult, it is important that you make decisions about your future now whilst you are able to. In doing this, you save your family from having to make decisions for you and give yourself the best chance that your own wishes will be fulfilled.

There are a few key things to think about including:

• ·        A written ‘Advance Statement’ which outlines your wishes about future treatment, in case you were no longer able to communicate them.
• ·        Any ‘Advance Decisions’ about treatments which you plan to refuse, so others are aware if you cannot communicate your wishes. If you wish to refuse life-sustaining treatments this must be signed and witnessed.
• ·        Do Not Attempt Resuscitate decision (DNAR) Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is a treatment to attempt to restart breathing and blood flow in people who have stopped breathing or their heart has stopped beating. You can decide to refuse this but it needs to be recorded to make health care professionals and others aware of this decision.
• ·        Putting into place a Lasting Power of Attorney enables you to appoint someone to make decisions for you if you are no longer able to make them yourself.