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coming into the home? How willing and able are you to provide the care the person needs in the home? Do you have the skills and training needed? What happens if you don’t feel able to continue caring? Make sure you have a backup plan . Both you and the person you care for can contact their local social services team to get support with social care needs such as personal care. You may find caring for someone challenging, so ask for your own needs assessment to look at what support you might need in your caring role. This is called a carers assessment . Healthcare is provided free… be nearing the end of their life, they may be given NHS continuing healthcare on a fast-track basis. See paying for care for more information. When thinking with the person you care about where to receive end of life care go to Choosing where to be cared for . Hospice care You may think…

Taking a break from caring for the person who is terminally ill is vital for your own health and wellbeing. If you don’t take a break then there is a danger that you will become unwell yourself and be unable to continue caring for them. Sometimes taking a temporary break from caring is called respite. What sort of break you have and how long that break is will depend on what works best for you and the person you care for. It is sensible to talk with them about taking a break from your caring role when planning ahead together. You may prefer a few hours regular break each week, or you may… assessment. Specialist voluntary providers. There are a number of voluntary organisations and private care providers in Surrey that can help you to have a break. In particular Crossroads Care Surrey (in partnership with the NHS) can provide a free, end-of-life carer support service for carers…

Funding end of life care can be expensive, not just for the person you care for but also for you as the carer. The person you care for may have had to give up work because they are too unwell and/or you may have had to give up work to provide the care they need. There are a range of sources… (Surrey County Council). Getting funded support will depend on the person’s level of need and their financial position. If caring for someone at home, their GP or district nurse can refer them for a needs assessment; or the person themselves, or you as their carer, can also contact social care teams… organisations and local charities that could provide help. NHS funding The NHS may fund nursing care costs in certain circumstances for the person you care for as they approach end of life. There are two different types of funding: NHS Continuing Healthcare : under this scheme, the NHS pays for care home…

Are you seeking information and further guidance on how to make decisions together about end of life care? Or perhaps you have recently lost a loved one and need help with immediate practical, legal, and financial issues as well as coping with grief. Whatever the situation, time will be precious to you. There is already a wealth of information for carers about end of life care, both on the internet and in leaflet form; however, it is sometimes difficult and time-consuming to find and work through. You and the person you care for will come across a lot of confusing terms and language when first receiving a diagnosis. In particular, there is a lot of confusion about what is palliative care and what is end of life care. A life-limiting illness is an illness for which there is no cure, for example, motor neurone disease, dementia, or advanced cancer. Sometimes this is referred…

you like this to be in your own home, at the hospital or hospice, or at the local social care teams office? Prepare for your carer’s assessment by thinking about what you want to cover and discuss with the assessor. Be honest and realistic about the impact of your end of life caring role…. As long as your life is affected in some way by your caring role you are entitled to an assessment. If there are other people in your family providing support to the same person they too may benefit from a carer’s assessment. A carer’s assessment isn’t rationed to one per cared for person. If you are under 18 you can still be assessed, but this is called a young carer’s assessment. Parent carers of a child under the age of 18 have similar rights to adult carers caring for an adult. Don’t be put off by the word assessment. It isn’t about checking up on you, it’s about having a conversation…

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 find you are eating too much or too little, drinking more alcohol, or smoking more. You may find you don’t have time for exercise or to make medical appointments when you need to. The caring role itself may also be putting a physical toll on your body, particularly if you are moving and handling…, and make you happier. Register as a carer with your GP surgery if you haven’t already done so. If your doctor knows you are a carer, they can ask you about any physical or mental health issues you may have because of caring. Think about arranging a health check. This is likely to involve checking…

relationships, social activities, education, religious, spiritual and cultural beliefs and values influencing care. Record of significant discussions with child or young person and their parent carers. Agreed treatment plans for end of life care and objectives. 24 hour access to pain… which you might not otherwise notice when caring on a day to day basis. Make sure you know how to access medical or nursing support on a 24 hour/7 day a week basis should you have concerns about managing your child’s symptoms or personal care. Continuing health care A continuing health care… carers, parent carers are entitled to a Carer’s Assessment as a way of finding out what your own social care needs are and how they can be best met. As part of this assessment it is important that your: job, training, education and leisure are considered as well as exploring the impact of your caring…

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 normally be expected of an adult. You are very likely to have a number of worries as a young carer or young adult carer looking after a family member approaching end of life, which are perfectly normal and it is important that you are able to talk to someone about these: What has caused 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…

and chatrooms. In particular, consider contacting the local charity Jigsaw which specialises in giving support to young people caring for a person who is approaching end of life or who are grieving for a relative. If you have just lost a parent, so you don’t feel alone, listen to other young… Local hospice The person you are caring for may have a key professional at a local hospice and they will understand how you are feeling as they meet many young carers. If you are caring for a sibling Christopher’s Children’s Hospice offers support to the whole family including sibling groups… at home who is approaching the end of life then they will be able to be more understanding with any school pressures and try to help. You may find it easier for your parents or other family members to tell the school. It is important the school know as they may have: A school counsellor for you…

. If the person has died at home, you can keep the body at home until the funeral if you choose, and the funeral director can help you look after the body there. You can also have the body cared for at the funeral home and you can visit them there. Things to think about If providing near end of life care… and your wishes are respected. If caring at home, think in advance (or as part of the person’s advance care plan ) about which funeral director to contact upon the person’s death. …