Palliative care
Palliative care is sometimes called 'end of life' care.
It includes care provided by any service to:
- help you to live as well as possible in comfortable surroundings and with support, according to your wishes. This may include supporting you to stay in your own home, if this is your choice.
- offer appropriate advice for relief of pain and any other symptoms
- provide support to your family and friends
- help you to plan your future care in advance. This includes thinking about where you would like to be cared for at the end of your life and making your wishes about your care, treatment and funeral plans known to your family and carers
Not everyone finds it easy to talk about death and dying. However, it is important to know that choices are available to you. Whether you have started thinking about how you wish to be cared for at the end of your life or not, people are available to discuss this with you and to offer support to you. They can also support you to talk to your family and friends about your wishes.
The aim of end of life care is to treat people with dignity, respect and, in their preferred place of care, to make sure they receive high standards of care at the end of their life.
Looking for support?
Whether you are looking for yourself, someone you know or are a professional, there is a lot of information, links to support services and learning tools on the end of life care website.
If you are looking for support with specialist palliative care, please visit the St Barnabas Hospice website. Alternatively, please call 0300 020 0694 to self-refer to access their services.
The Lincolnshire End of Life Care Pathway
Lincolnshire has developed an end of life care pathway which sets out what you can expect. It tells you:
- what services are available
- how each service can help you
- how you, your family, and your friends can be involved in deciding how you might want to be cared for
Your doctor and community nurse, as well as social care professionals, will work together to plan a package of care to support you and your family.