End of life care

End of life care

Dying is an inevitability we will all face. It is a topic most of us shy away from discussing, but talking about it can make all the difference to the person reaching the end of their life and those around them.

There will be a time when you have to think about the consequences of becoming seriously ill or disabled. This may be a time of ill health or as a result of a life changing event. At times like this it is important to think about what living with a serious or life limiting illness might mean to your partner, family and friends, particularly if you are unable to make decisions for yourself.

You may wish to record what your preferences and wishes for future care and treatment might be. This can include how and where you want to be cared for, as well as financial issues. Simply by letting family know your wishes, giving them peace of mind that they are acting in accordance to them can remove much of the stress from a very difficult situation.

The NHS website is full of information, help and advice to assist you in planning for the future and how to cope with a terminal illness.

What end of life care is and what it involves
Planning ahead for end of life care
Looking after your health and wellbeing

Sun shining on a field with flowers

Ambitions for Palliative and End of Life Care

The National Palliative and End of Life Care Partnership have a presentation on the Ambitions for Palliative and End of Life Care, a national framework for local action.

End of Life - information and advice

Age UK have lots of materials for helping you plan your end of life. 

National council for palliative care 'The Road Ahead'

Click here to view the National council for palliative care stategy 2015 - 2020

Planning for your future care 

The National council for palliative care has produced a guide to planning your future care.

The Dying Well Community Charter

Principles of care and support can be viewed here.

What happens if my heart stops?

Do not attempt cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) decision making. Information for patients, family, friends and carers. 

Dying Matters

Talk, Plan, Live”. Dying Matters are encouraging you to think about what is important to you and how you would like to be cared for at the end of your life.

There's five simple steps to make your end of life experience better for you and your loved ones. These are: 

• Write your will
• Record your funeral wishes
• Plan your future care and support
• Consider registering as an organ donor
• Tell your loved ones your wishes

For more information visit the dying matters website

Marie Curie

Marie Curie commission a range of providers to deliver palliative and end of life care to residents of the East Riding. Marie Curie is here for people living with any terminal illness, and their families. They offer expert care, guidance and support to help them get the most from the time they have left.

Their nurses work night and day, in people’s homes across the UK, providing hands on care and vital emotional support. The hospices offer specialist round-the-clock care.

They support people throughout their illness by giving practical information, support from trained volunteers and being there when someone wants to talk.

Marie Curie have a huge range of resources and booklets for anyone affected by terminal illness in the UK, including easy read materials. You can browse their publications by visiting www.mariecurie.org.uk/help/support/publications/all.

Palliative and end-of-life care pages consolidated on GOV.UK

The National End of Life Care Intelligence Network has a new presence on the GOV.UK website. Palliative and end of life care is a new website collection, bringing together all previously published NEoLCIN pages and within which all future, related publications will be included. The collection documents are grouped into: Palliative and end of life care profiles; Data and intelligence; Data analysis reports; and Resources. The data analysis reports (such as the recently published, Palliative and end of life care: hospital deaths 2006 to 2017) provide support for service providers, commissioners and policy makers in scoping and implementing local services.

ReSPECT

ReSPECT is a process that creates personalised recommendations for a person’s clinical care in a future emergency in which they are unable to make or express choices. It provides health and care professionals, responding to that emergency, with a summary of recommendations to help them to make immediate decisions about that person’s care and treatment. ReSPECT can be complementary to a wider process of advance/anticipatory care planning.  More information can be found on the ReSPECT Process website www.respectprocess.org.uk and on the Resuscitation Council's website www.resus.org.uk.

There is also an easy-read guide about the ReSPECT Process which you can find here.

Recommended Summary Plan for Emergency Care and Treatment