Who should be involved
- The GP, who coordinates and can arrange urgent visits.
- The district nursing team, for nursing care at home.
- The community palliative care or hospice team, who support at home as well as in a hospice.
- Marie Curie and Hospice UK, both of which support families directly, not only patients.
- The out-of-hours number, written down and visible before you need it.
What to ask for early
Ask about an anticipatory care plan, about equipment such as a hospital bed, and about what happens overnight. Ask specifically who to ring at three in the morning, and put that number on the fridge.
Ask about hospice at home services in your area. Availability varies, and they are not only for the final days.
Looking after the people caring
Family carers at this stage frequently stop eating and sleeping properly. Accept every offer of practical help, and let someone else handle the phone calls to the wider family.
Hospices provide bereavement support to families and it is worth taking, both before and afterwards.
What we are, and are not
You Care Reminders is a simple prompt service. At this stage its only realistic role is helping the family around the person — a reminder to eat, to call a sibling, to take a break. Clinical care belongs entirely with the professional team.
The wider picture
5.0 million
people in England and Wales provide unpaid care, according to the 2021 Census.