What Is End of Life Care? A Complete Guide for Families

The definition of end of life care is to offer specialised support for people in their final days, weeks, months, or years of life. It focuses on improving a person’s quality of life while ensuring they pass away in comfort and with dignity.

If you’ve recently received news that a loved one requires end of life care, you may have various questions about it, such as what is end of life care, what to expect, or how long does end of life care last?

We understand starting the process can feel overwhelming, which is why we’ve created this complete guide for families, covering everything from what is end of life care to the various care options available.

What Does End of Life Care Mean?

If a doctor or specialist has recently told you that a loved one’s medical condition can no longer be treated, you might wonder what does end of life care mean and what your family can expect over the coming days, weeks, or months.

To define end of life care, it means supporting a loved one’s physical comfort, emotional and spiritual needs, and providing practical support. For example, a care team manages your family member’s pain and symptoms, ensuring they feel comfortable each day. While a person’s health condition determines the level of support they need on a day-to-day basis, most care providers provide support with medication management, mobility, and personal care, including washing, dressing, and grooming.

End of life care has a holistic approach to care, rather than focusing solely on physical symptoms. For instance, it aims to help your loved one and their family cope with any emotional distress at every stage. During this time, a chaplain or counsellor can also provide spiritual support, answering questions related to faith or the meaning of life.

A multidisciplinary team supports families throughout the process, ensuring your loved one feels comfortable and is always treated with dignity and respect.

What Is Palliative Care and How Does It Relate?

Many people often mistake end of life care with palliative care. While similar, they differ in timing, treatments, and outcomes.

To define palliative care, it focuses on managing a person’s symptoms at any stage of an illness to improve their quality of life. Also, there is no medical estimation for life expectancy, and palliative care can be provided alongside other curative or life-prolonging medical treatments, such as chemotherapy.

The goal of palliative care at home is to help a loved one manage any pain, anxiety, or breathlessness while delivering emotional, psychological, and practical support. There are also specialised forms of palliative care designed to address the unique needs of specific populations, such as paediatric palliative care and geriatric palliative care.

When looking to define end of life care, this is the final stage of palliative care. A care team provides it when a person’s illness can no longer be cured, and they have reached their final days, weeks, or months of life.

How Long Does End of Life Care Last?

Many families wonder: “What is end of life care duration like?” The truth is, timelines can vary by days, weeks, or months, so it’s hard to predict how long end of life care lasts, as a person’s illness determines the timeframe. However, healthcare professionals typically recommend it when a person is expected to pass away within 12 months, but it could happen sooner or sometimes later.

Types of End of Life Care Available

Many end of life care options in the UK are available to provide your loved one with dignified comfort and support during their final stage of life. Discuss the different options with your loved one to make sure they receive the right care for their needs, medical condition, and preferences.

The end of life care options include:

·         Home care, including live-in care and domiciliary care

·         Hospices

·         Nursing care

Each option includes a multidisciplinary end of life care team of doctors, nurses, carers, social workers, and potentially counsellors or chaplains. The team works together to improve your loved one’s physical comfort and provide emotional and spiritual support. They are also there to support you and your family. You’ll receive regular support at every stage, including after a loved one’s passing.

Residential Care vs Nursing Care: What’s the Difference?

Many families might feel torn between placing a loved one in residential care or live-in nursing care. To help you make an informed decision, we have created a breakdown of the differences between residential care and nursing care.

Residential care:

·         Personal care support (washing, dressing, etc.) from a rotation of carers

·         Social wellbeing

·         Assistance with daily living

·         Visits from community nurses and GPs

Live-in nursing care:

·         24-hour one-to-one support from a highly trained live-in nurse

·         Consistent symptom management

·         Personalised emotional support from a familiar carer (extending to family)

·         Familiar surroundings of home

·         Adapted care routine to support dignity and independence

Once you have a thorough understanding of the biggest difference between residential care and nursing care, discuss the various options with your loved one and family to make the right decision for their needs, condition, and preferences.

How End of Life Care Supports Families

End of life care provides compassionate, individualised support, helping a person manage an illness in comfort and with dignity. In addition to providing your loved one with assistance, end of life support for families is available to help them navigate this challenging time.

A social worker and counsellors help your family members manage various emotions, providing a safe space to express feelings of sadness, fear, and anger. From explaining the process to setting expectations, a compassionate care team can also help your family make important decisions, mediate hard conversations between relatives, and navigate paperwork.

Choosing the Right Care at Home

Most people would choose to receive full-time care at home, especially during their final days, months, or years. While it isn’t always possible, end of life care at home allows your loved one to rest in the comfort of their bed, surrounded by their memories, belongings, and pets.

At Consultus Care and Nursing, we have over 60 years of experience providing professional live-in nursing services, which extends to end of life care. For this reason, we understand how familiar surroundings can reduce a person’s anxiety while providing more dignity, independence, and a greater sense of freedom.

For instance, your loved one has the option to enjoy fresh air in their much-loved garden, welcome visitors throughout the day and night, and share more private moments with family and friends. Families may also find it easier to manage the grieving process in a familiar environment, as a cosy living room or family kitchen feels more comforting than a clinical waiting area.

As your loved one experiences round-the-clock support from a live-in nurse, you can sleep well knowing your family member has access to one-to-one support day and night. This ensures the person you love always receives the highest standard of care that’s personalised to their specific needs.

It is, however, important to choose an end of life care option that feels right for your loved one and family. If you’d like to learn more about how we can support the person you love, please don’t hesitate to contact our helpful team for free, no-obligation advice to make an informed decision.

Live-in care 

Careadvisorteam@consultuscare.com 

01732 355231  

Live-in nursing  

nursing@consultuscare.com 

01732 770 403