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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…

Planning ahead together involves you talking with the person you care for about what they want and don’t want in terms of their future care, final days, and after death. Planning ahead involves recording their wishes, so you, the wider family, and health and social care professionals know what to do in the future. Questions that you might want to think about with the person you care for include: Where do they want to be looked after in the future? Where would they like to be looked after in their final days? What cultural or spiritual needs would they like to be taken into account for example religious practices, particular foods to avoid? Is there anything important to their identity for example preferred name and pronouns, certain preferred clothes? Who do they want to spend time with and doing what in the future? What would be their wishes about their care…

Organs can only be donated if the person you care for dies in hospital, usually in intensive care where the blood can be kept circulating. However, tissue (such as bone, skin, heart valves, corneas, and many others) can be donated up to 48 hours after a death which does not necessarily occur… or are in one of the excluded groups. If the person you care for does not want to be an organ donor they will need to opt-out by registering a ‘refuse to donate’ decision on the NHS Organ Donor Register and by sharing their decision with you. It’s important they tell you what they want, as the family of a potential donor will still be approached to discuss the option of organ and tissue donation. They can also express their wishes by including them in an advance care plan. The new law does not apply to anyone under 18, people who lack mental capacity to understand the new arrangements, those who…

The person you care for may have lost their ability to make their own decisions about their health and care and/or they may be unable to manage their property and financial affairs (see Mental capacity ). The person you care for may have already planned for a time when they cannot make… the person you care for circumstances and finances by completing a number of different forms. Once the forms are submitted the Court will assess and decide on your suitability to be a deputy based on the information you have provided. The person you care for will be notified as will any significant others in their family. It is possible to make an emergency application where a person’s life expectancy is very short or to execute a will. You can also make such an application if the person you care for needs urgent medical treatment or you want to prevent them from being removed from the place where…

be more than one beneficiary, like a whole family or a group of people. They may benefit from the income of the trust only, or the capital only when reaching a certain age, or both the income and capital of the trust. Things to think about The person you care for may wish to consider setting up…

as a family. Consider who might be best, for example, a professional involved in the dying person’s care who is from the primary health care team or hospice, or perhaps an advisor from a local voluntary organisation such as Action for Carers Surrey . …

A person with a learning disability may need support to talk about death and dying or to make important decisions around their own end of life care. They may need additional help, specific to their communication needs, to ask questions and to make sure their wishes and preferences are recorded. ​A person with a learning disability in your family may also be involved in providing end of life care. Marie Curie has developed a number of easy read booklets that will help a person with a learning disability talk about death and provide support to someone with a terminal illness. For more information about talking with people with learning disabilities and end of life planning Professor Irene Tuffrey-Wijne talks further at Tuffrey-Wijne . …

Here grief is explored, as well as how you might be feeling and the importance of looking after yourself. How to support others in the family and deal with a sudden death is also covered. Grief is a normal reaction to losing a loved one, and there is no right or wrong way to grieve. You also sh…