28 Jun Palliative Home Care
Is Palliative Home Care an Option?
When someone is nearing the end of their life, they may decide that they would prefer to receive palliative home care, rather than moving to a hospice. There is no reason why such wishes cannot be fulfilled, and often families find that preparing for a loved one’s death in familiar surroundings, can helps them to come to terms with their impending loss.
At Francis House Homecare we always respect the wishes of our clients and can offer them palliative care in their home. In this blog we consider the alternative options for end-of-life home care and think about what a ‘good death’ means.
What are the Options for Palliative Home Care?
There are three ways that palliative care is normally administered in the home:
- Hospice Care. It is possible to receive hospice care whilst spending the majority of your time at home. Normally this choice would involve travelling to the hospice each week to access the services that they provide.
- Home Care. Trained carers make scheduled visits your home. You can decide on the time and duration of the visits, and their regularity. They may comprise check-in phone calls, or visits to the house that occur as often as you need them.
- Live-In Care. A specialist carer moves into your home and provides 24/7 support. Their role may include cooking, complex care, companionship, and personal care. A live-in carer tends to work closely with both their client and the family.
Palliative Care Services in the Home
When a client decides to die at home, Francis House Homecare works in collaboration with the continuing healthcare team, district nurses and Partnership for Excellence in Palliative Support (PEPS) to ensure that the appropriate level of palliative care is available.
Our care workers are able to offer the following services:
- Medication monitoring, and help.
- Personal care – dressing, washing, hairdressing.
- Help with managing pain – including emotional support.
- Working with the family to adapt the home for ease of access.
- Shopping, cooking, light cleaning, keeping the home tidy.
- Companionship, shared activities.
- Listening to, and emotionally supporting the client and their family.
What is a ‘Good Death’ at Home?
‘End-of-life care’ is all about ensuring that someone receives the treatment and support they require to allow them to die with dignity, in the surroundings they choose, surrounded by the people they love. For Francis House Homecare workers, this involves treating their client with compassion, affording them dignity at all times, and respecting their wishes.
Why Choose Francis House Homecare?
Providing palliative home care is a privilege. Our carers are aware of this and offer care from the heart. The Care Quality Commission reports that our services as consistently good. This reflects our commitment to our clients, and our ongoing recognition of the responsibility we bear as caregivers. We are dedicated to person-centred care as a collaborative partnership leading to enhanced wellbeing and standards for our clients.
If you would like to talk to a Francis House carer about palliative home care for yourself, or a loved one, call us today on 01234 841808