---
title: "End of life care at home: what support exists in the UK"
description: "What UK families can expect when someone is cared for at the end of life at home: who provides support, what to ask for, and where to find help."
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1.  [Home](/)
2.  [Caring for elderly parents](/caring-for-elderly-parents)
3.  End of life care at home 

End of life

# End of life care at home

This is the hardest page on this site to write, and probably the hardest to read. It is short, practical, and free of anything that pretends to make it easier than it is.

[Begin caring today for free](/signup)[How it works](/features)

## 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.

Source: [Office for National Statistics, Census 2021](https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/healthandsocialcare/healthandwellbeing/bulletins/unpaidcareenglandandwales/census2021)

## Being straight with you

You Care Reminders is a non-medical wellness tool. It is not a nursing, monitoring or emergency service and must never be used for medication or clinical care. End of life care should be led by your GP, district nursing team and palliative care or hospice service. In an emergency, call 999.

## Questions carers ask

### Can someone die at home if that is their wish?

### Is hospice care only for the final days?

### What help is there overnight?

### Where can families get emotional support?

## Read next

-   [Caring for elderly parents](/caring-for-elderly-parents)
-   [Respite care in the UK](/respite-care-uk)
-   [Carer burnout](/carer-burnout-early-signs)
-   [Care glossary](/care-glossary)

## Set the first reminder tonight

It takes about five minutes, costs nothing to start, and the person you care for has nothing to install.

[Begin caring today for free](/signup)[See plans](/pricing)

You Care Reminders 

Thoughtful reminders that help families stay quietly connected to the people they love.

Wellness support, not medical advice.

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-   [Dementia check-ins](/dementia-check-in-service)
-   [Daily prompts for MCI](/mild-cognitive-impairment-daily-prompts)
-   [Drink & meal reminders](/dehydration-reminders-elderly)
-   [Compared to dementia clocks](/vs-dementia-clocks)
-   [Why smart alarms fail](/why-smart-alarms-fail-older-adults)

More scenarios

-   [Loneliness call reminders](/loneliness-call-reminders)
-   [Safety check-ins](/safety-check-in-service)
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-   [Family care app](/family-care-app)
-   [Live-in care alternative](/live-in-care-alternative)
-   [Care glossary](/care-glossary)

Guides

-   [Caring for elderly parents](/caring-for-elderly-parents)
-   [Dementia care at home](/dementia-care-at-home)
-   [Mild cognitive impairment](/mild-cognitive-impairment)
-   [Dementia clocks](/dementia-clocks)
-   [Signs of dehydration](/signs-of-dehydration-in-older-adults)
-   [Carer burnout](/carer-burnout-early-signs)
-   [Respite care](/respite-care-uk)

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