Palliative and end of life care at home

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Palliative care is treatment, care and support that helps people with a life-limiting illness live as comfortably and fully as possible. It can begin at any stage of an illness — including while curative treatment is still being given — and focuses on managing symptoms, easing discomfort and respecting the person's wishes.

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Carers at Home provides palliative and end of life care in people's own homes: through home care visits across Surrey, Berkshire and East Hampshire, and through live-in care across the south of England. We are a family-run agency, established in 2007 and regulated by the Care Quality Commission.

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What's the difference between palliative care and end of life care?

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End of life care is the part of palliative care that supports someone in the last months or weeks of their life. Palliative care itself can continue for much longer — months or even years — alongside other treatment. Conditions that commonly lead to palliative care at home include cancer, advanced dementia, heart failure, respiratory disease and neurological conditions such as Parkinson's or motor neurone disease.

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Can someone be cared for at home at the end of their life?

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Yes — with the right support in place, most people can be. Given the choice, most of us would rather spend our final months in familiar surroundings, close to family, than in a hospital or care home. Our carers work alongside GPs, district nurses and hospice teams so that medical care and day-to-day support fit together around the person.

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How our palliative carers help

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Every package is built around the person and their wishes. Support often includes:

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• Help with medication, including pain relief prompts and assistance

• Personal care — washing, dressing and continence care, always with dignity

• Preparing meals, help with eating, and food and hydration monitoring

• Overnight care, so families can rest knowing someone is there

• Shopping and light housework

• Companionship and reassurance — for the person, and for those around them

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​Home care visits or live-in care?

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For some families, visits at key points in the day are enough; for others, round-the-clock support brings the most peace of mind. We provide both — home care visits across Surrey, Berkshire and East Hampshire, and live-in care across the south of England — and care can step up as needs change, without changing provider. Our rates for both are published openly on our fees page.

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Supporting the whole family

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Our aim is to take as much of the strain off family and friends as we can, so the time you have together — and the memories you keep — can be as positive as possible. We always follow the wishes of the client and work alongside the family to make this time peaceful, comfortable and dignified.

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How quickly can care start?

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Palliative care is often needed at short notice. Care can usually begin within days of a free care needs assessment, and urgent cases can be quicker. Some end of life care qualifies for NHS funding — our team can point you in the right direction when we talk. See paying for care for more.

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To talk through palliative or end of life care for someone you love, call our Godalming office on 01483 899 350 for home care visits, or 0330 633 4455 for live-in care — or get in touch online. There's no obligation and no charge for the conversation.

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For practical guidance, you can also read our post: 10 Essential Tips for Providing Compassionate End of Life Care for a Loved One.