How long does palliative care last?
When facing a serious or life-limiting illness, one of the most common questions people ask is: how long does palliative care last? It’s an entirely natural question - especially when planning for the future or trying to make the best decisions for yourself or a loved one.
Palliative care is highly personalised, and as such, there is no set timescale. The length of time someone receives palliative care depends entirely on their condition, their symptoms, and their personal wishes. Some people may receive palliative care for just a few weeks, while others may benefit from support for several months - even years.
At Consultus Care and Nursing, we believe life is better at home. For over 60 years we have supported families through some of life’s most sensitive moments, providing professional, compassionate palliative care tailored to individual needs.
Understanding how long palliative care can last
Palliative care can begin at any stage of a serious illness, not just the final stages of life. It may be introduced soon after a diagnosis, especially when there are complex symptoms or emotional support needs. Others may start receiving palliative care later, when curative treatment is no longer effective, or when greater support is needed day-to-day. If you are wondering when palliative care should begin for yourself or a loved one, you can learn more about this process in our article: When should palliative care begin?
The length of palliative care will be dependent on the unique needs of the individual, their specific circumstances, and the progression of their illness. Some of the factors that may influence this include:
Conditions such as cancer, dementia, heart failure, or chronic respiratory conditions all progress differently - and individuals respond to treatment in their own ways.
Some individuals prefer support to begin early to help them manage symptoms, maintain independence, and plan ahead. Others may only wish to receive palliative care during the later stages of their condition, shortening the time of care received.
The location where palliative care takes place can also impact the length of care. For instance, those that receive palliative care in a hospital setting typically experience 24.5 fewer days of palliative care than those referred to hospice or to home care services.
Can palliative care continue for years?
Yes, in many cases palliative care can continue for a prolonged period, especially where individuals are living with long-term, degenerative illnesses. In such instances, care may be provided in stages, adjusted as the condition progresses. This flexible approach allows people to remain in the comfort of their own home, with all that is familiar , with the reassurance that care will adapt as their needs change.
At Consultus Care, we offer both managed live-in care and live-in nursing, ensuring we can provide the right level of support at every stage. From help with daily tasks and companionship to specialist clinical care and symptom management, our experienced carers and private nurses can help.
When does palliative care become end-of-life care?
Towards the final stages of life, palliative care may become more focused on end-of-life support. This transition will be advised by the care team in charge of a person’s care, often when their condition has begun to deteriorate significantly.
From this point, treatment will become principally focused on measures taken to ensure comfort, such as more intensive symptom control. Emotional support for the patient and their family will also become a focus during the transition, helping everyone involved come to terms with the diagnosis.
Common misconceptions about palliative care
There are several misconceptions about palliative care. Information from the charity Marie Curie aims to dispel of this, and includes:
MYTH: Palliative care is only provided in a hospital or hospice setting
Whilst many individuals receive palliative care in a hospital or hospice setting, it’s not the only option. More people are taking the decision to receive palliative care from the comfort of their own home, delivered by a compassionate carer or registered nurse.
MYTH: Palliative care is reserved only for end-of-life
Palliative care can be given at any stage of an illness, including from time of diagnosis. Some people may receive palliative care for years, whilst others the final weeks at the end of their life.
MYTH: Palliative care only treats pain and physical symptoms of an illness or condition
Whilst pain relief and symptom management are often core reasons to seek palliative care, it’s not all it can help with. Palliative care is holistic and supports individuals emotionally, psychologically, and spiritually too.
MYTH: Treatment stops when palliative care begins
Palliative care can take place alongside treatment, starting from the date of diagnosis.
What our clients say
"Consultus Care allowed us to keep our Mum at home following a fall and a hip break. This meant that she had a really good quality of life; her friends could visit her easily. It made a huge difference to her to be in her own surroundings.
The quality of care was excellent throughout."
Alison
Why choose Consultus Care and Nursing?
One of the longest-established and most trusted providers
Founded in 1962, we have always been innovators in live-in care and live-in nursing. With over 60 years’ experience, we are one of the country’s longest-established, most highly recommended and experienced providers.
Unrivalled choice and control over your care
We understand that every person’s needs are different and every family’s situation is unique. With our choice of fully managed live-in care and nursing, and our introductory service, we offer more flexibility and personalisation than any other provider.
Highly trained nurses and carers
We are nationally recognised for the quality of our nurses and carers. With market-leading training, delivered at our own, multi-award-winning training centre (a Skills for Care Centre of Excellence), they provide exemplary, compassionate care tailored to individual needs, offering total peace of mind for clients and their families.
Expert care and support, dedicated to you
Our Care Consultants oversee our nursing and managed care services supporting only a small number of families. This means our service is truly personal, with unrivalled support and continuity of care. Reassurance that we are there when you need us most.
Family-founded, family-owned
We continue to be a family-owned and family-managed business. The largest wholly family-owned live-in care provider in the UK, we focus on what our clients and their families need from a high-quality care service, not on meeting investors’ expectations.
How to arrange live-in care
Speak to a Care Advisor
Our friendly, expert Care Advisors are here to guide you through your options, answer your important questions, whilst providing support along the way.
Care assessment
If you would like our managed live-in care service, a Care Consultant local to you, will complete a free assessment of your needs in your home.
Care starts
A fully trained carer will be carefully matched to meet your needs, and will start to provide our high-quality service in your home.
Live-in nursing FAQs
Live-in nursing is specialist form of care and support, where a registered nurse resides in your home to provide one-to-one medical care around-the-clock. Our live-in nursing service means you can avoid a prolonged stay in hospital or a disruptive move to a nursing home or hospice to get the specialist care you need. Our live-in nurses are qualified and trained to provide support with medical conditions and chronic health concerns, recovery and rehabilitation following surgery, and sensitive and compassionate end-of-life care.
Live-in nursing is suitable for individuals, or couples with complex medical conditions, such as:
Acute medical needs requiring clinical supervision
Post-surgical care and rehabilitation
Chronic illness and disease management
Neurological conditions, such as dementia and Parkinson’s
Palliative and end-of-life care
Recovery support following a hospital stay to transition back into daily life
All our nurses are thoroughly vetted through a rigorous process, including:
Right-to-Work and an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks
Registration verification with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC)
Employment reference checks to ensure a minimum or three years post-registration experience in an acute, community or palliative care setting
Face-to-face interviews to assess suitability, professionalism and compassion.
Whilst we provide you with a couple of nurse profiles to review, our experienced Nurse Consultants will recommend the best match based on your specific needs and preferences. We have over 60 years’ experience of matching suitable nurses that meet our clients’ needs to ensure they have the right level of nursing care.
A live-in nurse typically works from 8am to 8pm, with a two-hour break during the day.
A live-in nurse can provide up to two-night calls per night, which are chargeable. If you require more frequent nighttime assistance, your dedicated Nurse Consultant will review your nursing needs, and we may recommend a dedicated night carer, or nurse.
You’ll need to provide a private bedroom with basic amenities, including a bed and somewhere to store their clothes. They need to have access to a bathroom, but this does not need to be a dedicated bathroom. Nurses will also need access to WIFI to enable them to communicate and complete administration tasks. Most families provide food for our nurse, but if this is not possible, we ask for an £8 per day allowance if the nurse needs to make their own provision.
Our live-in nursing service is highly flexible. Care plans are regularly reviewed by your nurse and dedicated Nurse Consultant to ensure it accurately reflects the clinical support you require working closely with healthcare professionals involved in your care.
Nurses are trained to respond effectively to emergencies, such as contacting emergency services, notifying family members, and following agreed protocols to ensure your safety. Our live-in nursing service is fully managed, so you have around-the-clock emergency support from our office-based nursing team.
The minimum booking for our live-in nursing service is four days.
Live-in nursing can typically be arranged within 24-48 hours, depending on the complexity of your needs.
Live-in nursing care costs from £2,780 per week, subject to an assessment of you or your loved one’s needs.
When considering funding live-in nursing, it is worth noting that in the UK, healthcare is provided free at the point of delivery. If you need live-in nursing at home due to an identified health care need, you may be eligible for NHS Continuing Healthcare Funding. This funding is managed and provided by your local Integrated Care Board (ICB), formerly the Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG). This funding covers the treatment, management or prevention of diseases, illnesses, injuries or disabilities, as well as aftercare those living with these conditions. At Consultus Care and Nursing, our Nursing Co-ordinators are here to guide you through your options, so you can make the right choice for you or your loved one.
It starts with a friendly discussion with a member of our experienced Care Advisory team who will talk through your requirements and expectations and guide you as to the suitability of our services. Should you wish to proceed, a Nurse Co-ordinator will discuss with you, and your family and other healthcare professionals involved in your care, your specific healthcare needs to ensure we match you with the perfect nurse to meet your needs. Once the contractual paperwork is concluded a service start date is agreed.
Looking for care?
Please fill out the enquiry form below and we will aim to contact you within 24 hours. Looking to work for Consultus Care and Nursing? Please apply here.