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If you are caring for a person with a terminal illness, it can be difficult to find time to think about your own health needs. However, by ignoring your own health needs you may become unwell yourself and be unable to provide the care and support that you want to. If feeling stressed you may… the person you care for. Things to think about Healthy eating is just as important to you as it is to the person you care for, but with so much else to do it is easy to slip into bad eating habits. Deciding what to cook each day is time consuming, so think about planning meals in advance and doing one… are moving and handling the person you care for. It is not dependent on age or how fit we think we are and the effects on our health can develop over a period of time. If moving and handling the person you care for make sure you get the right information and training. Action for Carers Surrey’s Moving…

As a parent carer there will be lots of things to think about when you are told your child has a life limiting or life threatening condition. Getting a diagnosis If you have just heard the news that your child has a life-limiting or life-threatening condition you will be in a state of shock and …

It may be that school is still a major focus of their lives. It is important to keep providing your child, as far as is possible, the opportunity to learn, develop, play and experience a normal life. School age children should be enabled to attend their own school for as long as they can, so that they can benefit from interacting with friends as well as receiving an education. The school can also provide your child and your family with an important source of support, including giving you a break during the day. If your child is no longer able to attend school due to their deteriorating health then education can continue through the hospital or hospice school or through the home tuition service for as long as your child is enjoying the experience and still learning. Things to think about Make sure your child’s school is part of the multidisciplinary team supporting your child…

You may need specialist aids and equipment to care for your child. You and your child may be assessed by an Occupational Therapist from your primary care trust or children’s team who can inform you about the options and services open to you. Any aids and equipment should be included in your Child and Family Care Plan. If needing specialist continence aids for example nappies, talk to the health visitor or children’s nursing team for advice. Education and Resources for Improving Childhood Incontinence (ERIC) Helpline service provides support for children, parents and professionals who… your housing meets your child’s needs. There may not be enough room to meet their care needs or to enable you to care safely. You may need a specifically adapted room or bathroom. Funding may be available from your local authority or you may need to have a housing assessment to see if your current…

If you are under the age of 18 and providing care to a terminally ill relative then you are a ‘young carer’. If you are between the age of 18 and 25 then you are a ‘young adult carer’. Both young carers and adult young carers take on practical and emotional caring responsibilities that would… the illness, was it my fault and can I catch it? Why has it happened to us? What can I do to make him/her feel more able to deal with the illness? How will the illness get worse and when will he/she die? Who will look after me? If I tell anyone will I go into care? What do we do for money? What do I do in an emergency if no one else is around to care for them? How do I cope with how I feel and my own emotions? Talk, talk, talk! Talking to someone such as another family member, your favourite teacher or a best friend is really important. You may feel this is risky and makes you…

Whilst the person you care for is still able to swallow, tablets or liquid medicine will continue to be prescribed by their GP. If the person wishes you to help administer their medication then make sure you are giving the medicines at the right time of day. If you are giving them at the wrong time, then they could not work properly or there could be side effects. Check if the medicines should be taken with food or in between meals. If you know the person is going to have to pay for a lot of NHS prescriptions, it may be cheaper to buy a prescription ‘season ticket’ referred… month PPC costs £29.10 and will save money if the person needs more than 3 prescribed items in 3 months​ A 12 month PPC costs £104 and will save the person money if they need more than 11 prescribed items per year If the person you care for has a complicated medication regime with different…

happen slowly with the person you care for lingering. The following signs are examples of what may happen to the person you care for and who is dying. Some may or may not happen, but it can be useful to know about them. Body changes very weak and unable to get out of bed needing help with all personal care loss of interest in food and may have little food or fluid intake for days the mouth becomes very dry and/or mucus collects at the back of the mouth trouble taking medication, swallowing tablets sudden movements of muscles, twitching or jerking (terminal restlessness caused… to expect in a person’s last weeks or days and how you can practically care for them (PDF) at this time.…

Here’s a quick guide for planning end of life care with the person you care for. It explores the importance of taking a planned approach and highlights a number of ways in which, together, you can make an advance plan whilst the person you care for has the mental capacity to make their own decisions. When the person you care for has a terminal illness, it can be an especially difficult time for you too. It will be physically and emotionally demanding with lots of practical things to think about. You and the person you care for may not feel like planning ahead, but there are a number of reasons why it can help: It can be a good way to start a conversation with the person you care for about what might happen and to make a clear written record of their decisions about their future care and what should happen in their final days. It can make you and the person you care for feel…

you care for might lack capacity to make a decision on one day but be able to make that same decision another day. How do I know when the person I care for may lack capacity to make a particular decision? The person you care for will lack mental capacity to make a particular decision… that a person who wishes to make what we feel is an unwise decision lacks capacity. Making an unwise decision is not the same as being ‘unable’ to make that decision. Can I make health and welfare decisions as their carer? If the person you care for is assessed by a health or social care professional not to have capacity to make a decision about their health and welfare, a best interest decision will need to be made on their behalf. Although you have the legal right to be consulted on what is in their best interests by the most appropriate health/social care professional responsible…