End of Life Care at St George's Nursing Home

What Actually is End Of Life Care?

From a healthcare perspective, end of life care refers to the care and support for those who are in the last months or years of their life. Although there may be no cure for these people’s health condition or disease, end of life care helps them to live as comfortably as possible until they die and gives them a dignified death. You can receive end of life care at home, in hospital, in a hospice or in a care home, depending on the level of care you need. You have the right to say where you want to receive care and where you want to die - this should all be included in your care plan, which our care team you can put together with family, friends and carers.

When Does End of Life Care Begin?

End of life care is flexible - it begins when someone starts to need it and can last anywhere from a few days to a few years. For example, if someone experiences a catastrophic event such as a stroke, they may only require end of life care for a few days or weeks, as opposed to someone who is receiving consistent end of life care over the course of many months or years to manage a condition. There are many different circumstances that may call for end of life care. These include:

• Someone with an advanced and incurable or life limiting illness, such as cancer, dementia or motor neurone disease
• Someone who is at risk of dying from a sudden change to an existing health condition
• Someone who has a life threatening acute condition caused by a sudden catastrophic event, such as a stroke or heart attack
• Someone who is generally frail and is expected to die within 12 months. They may also have co-existing health conditions

Palliative Care and End Of Life Care - What is the Difference ?

Palliative care is care term included in the end of life care umbrella of services, and refers to care for someone who has an illness that cannot be cured.  Palliative care focuses on providing relief from symptoms, making that person as comfortable as possible, including managing their pain and other symptoms and improving their quality of life, rather than extending a patient’s life. An holistic approach to palliative care, which we advocate in St George's Nursing Home can also include psychological, social and spiritual support for the person, their family and friends and carers. Although it is usually used to refer to someone who is approaching the end of their life, you can in fact receive palliative care earlier in your illness, alongside other therapies.