Caring at home - practical tips

Everyone wants to be at home for as long as possible - but family carers need knowledge regarding the best way to care for the body, especially in these times of stretched community resources. Caring for someone at home with a terminal illness can be rewarding, exhausting, frightening and joyful.

Confidence in the everyday tasks of care will help you to cope. 

Helping with Practical Tasks:

 

The Hospice in the Weald INFORMED guides  cover most of the above topics plus a few extra

 A brief video showing how to safely move someone in their bed

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Hospice in the Weald, Kent

Published 30th December 2022

Marie Curie

Published 20th April 2020

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Hospices

Adult Carer Core Support
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Adult Carer Core Support

T. 0300 303 1555

W. https://www.carersfirst.org.uk/

This free service has been commissioned to support adult carers. 

The offer includes:

  • One to one information and support to carers 
  • Support via phone, text, email or face to face visits including home visits
  • Groups and activities for carers
  • Help to get Carers Trust grants
  • Referrals to carefree breaks
  • Free SIM cards

The offer in Southend includes funding for breaks for carers, support to help carers to access their own appointments and one-off respite break funding.

Bliss
Close

Bliss offers a wide range of free services for the families of premature and sick babies including a video call support service.

Breatheasy groups
Close

The support group is a way to learn more about living with a lung condition and share your experiences and stories with others.

Children's Community Nursing Service: Essex Partnership University Trust
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Children's Community Nursing Service: Essex Partnership University Trust

T. 0344 257 3956

The Children's Community Nursing Team (CCN Team) provides clinical nursing care for children and young people with complex and ongoing clinical health needs in the community including palliative care. The team cares for children and young people between the ages of 0 – 18 years who would need to return to hospital or their GP for their health care needs.

Children's Community Nursing Service: North East London Foundation Trust
Close

Children's Community Nursing Service: North East London Foundation Trust

T. 0300 300 1521 option 1

W. https://www.nelft.nhs.uk/services-bsbwtk-community-nursing-clinicians

The Children’s Community Nursing Team consists of nurses who have specialist training and experience in the care of sick children. We provide a vital link with other professionals to provide holistic care including palliative care to children and their families. We aid in preventing hospital admission and supporting early discharge by teaching and supporting families to manage their child’s condition in their own home.

District Nursing
Close

The team delivers nursing care to housebound patient's including wound care, assessment, palliative care, medication, pressure ulcer management.

Fair Havens Community Service
Close

Fair Havens Community Team provides assessment, support advice and care for people wishing to be cared  and supported in their locality community setting. Support is available for those in care homes.

The team is available 24 hours a day, at the end of the phone, for advice and support, to arrange additional home visits. Visits to Fair Havens Hub, the Rapid access service or In Patient Unit is also available.

Please watch this video for more information.

Fair Havens Hospice In Patient Unit
Close

Referrals may be made either by a patient or carer, or any professional directly involved in the patient’s care. Anyone making a referral must have the consent of the patient.

Fair Havens In Patient Unit provides assessment and management of physical symptoms that are proving difficult to control, such as pain, nausea, vomiting, and breathlessness. Respite care is also available for short stays enabling their carers to rest and recuperate. There are 8 beds in the unit.

Some patients may only require a stay for a few days before going home again. Some people choose to receive hospice care several times during their illness, depending on their condition and their wishes.

Please watch this video for more information.

Little Havens Hospice
Close

Little Havens provides specialist care and support for babies, children and young people requiring specialist in-patient care for symptom management, respite and end of life care.

Palliative Care Nursing Team
Close

The palliative care team aims to provide support and management of physical symptoms such as pain, and also provide psychological, social and spiritual care to patients and their families.

Rainbow Trust
Close

Rainbow Trust Children’s Charity supports families who have a child aged 0 to18 years with a life-threatening or terminal illness.

SEE Care Coordination Team
Close

This is a multidisciplinary service including Care coordinators, HCAs, pharmacy and intensive social prescribers.

The team completes complex geriatric assessments and premptively intervention on needs of patients living with frailty. The aim is to support independence and the quality of life of patients and be a point of contact for any need. 

Together for Short Lives
Close

Together for Short Lives have a helpline and family support hub to provide help and advice for those caring for a child with a serious illness.

Young lives vs Cancer
Close

Young lives vs Cancer support young people under 25 with cancer, and their families, to get the help they need during their cancer treatment and beyond, including bereaved families living with emotional distress. 

Palliative care teams

Adult Carer Core Support
Close

Adult Carer Core Support

T. 0300 303 1555

W. https://www.carersfirst.org.uk/

This free service has been commissioned to support adult carers. 

The offer includes:

  • One to one information and support to carers 
  • Support via phone, text, email or face to face visits including home visits
  • Groups and activities for carers
  • Help to get Carers Trust grants
  • Referrals to carefree breaks
  • Free SIM cards

The offer in Southend includes funding for breaks for carers, support to help carers to access their own appointments and one-off respite break funding.

Bliss
Close

Bliss offers a wide range of free services for the families of premature and sick babies including a video call support service.

Breatheasy groups
Close

The support group is a way to learn more about living with a lung condition and share your experiences and stories with others.

Children's Community Nursing Service: Essex Partnership University Trust
Close

Children's Community Nursing Service: Essex Partnership University Trust

T. 0344 257 3956

The Children's Community Nursing Team (CCN Team) provides clinical nursing care for children and young people with complex and ongoing clinical health needs in the community including palliative care. The team cares for children and young people between the ages of 0 – 18 years who would need to return to hospital or their GP for their health care needs.

Children's Community Nursing Service: North East London Foundation Trust
Close

Children's Community Nursing Service: North East London Foundation Trust

T. 0300 300 1521 option 1

W. https://www.nelft.nhs.uk/services-bsbwtk-community-nursing-clinicians

The Children’s Community Nursing Team consists of nurses who have specialist training and experience in the care of sick children. We provide a vital link with other professionals to provide holistic care including palliative care to children and their families. We aid in preventing hospital admission and supporting early discharge by teaching and supporting families to manage their child’s condition in their own home.

District Nursing
Close

The team delivers nursing care to housebound patient's including wound care, assessment, palliative care, medication, pressure ulcer management.

Fair Havens Community Service
Close

Fair Havens Community Team provides assessment, support advice and care for people wishing to be cared  and supported in their locality community setting. Support is available for those in care homes.

The team is available 24 hours a day, at the end of the phone, for advice and support, to arrange additional home visits. Visits to Fair Havens Hub, the Rapid access service or In Patient Unit is also available.

Please watch this video for more information.

Fair Havens Hospice In Patient Unit
Close

Referrals may be made either by a patient or carer, or any professional directly involved in the patient’s care. Anyone making a referral must have the consent of the patient.

Fair Havens In Patient Unit provides assessment and management of physical symptoms that are proving difficult to control, such as pain, nausea, vomiting, and breathlessness. Respite care is also available for short stays enabling their carers to rest and recuperate. There are 8 beds in the unit.

Some patients may only require a stay for a few days before going home again. Some people choose to receive hospice care several times during their illness, depending on their condition and their wishes.

Please watch this video for more information.

Hospice UK
Close

Hospice UK can help find a hospice, provide infromation and support about end of life care and guidance to plan ahead.

Little Havens Hospice
Close

Little Havens provides specialist care and support for babies, children and young people requiring specialist in-patient care for symptom management, respite and end of life care.

Palliative Care Nursing Team
Close

The palliative care team aims to provide support and management of physical symptoms such as pain, and also provide psychological, social and spiritual care to patients and their families.

Rainbow Trust
Close

Rainbow Trust Children’s Charity supports families who have a child aged 0 to18 years with a life-threatening or terminal illness.

SEE Care Coordination Team
Close

This is a multidisciplinary service including Care coordinators, HCAs, pharmacy and intensive social prescribers.

The team completes complex geriatric assessments and premptively intervention on needs of patients living with frailty. The aim is to support independence and the quality of life of patients and be a point of contact for any need. 

Together for Short Lives
Close

Together for Short Lives have a helpline and family support hub to provide help and advice for those caring for a child with a serious illness.

Young lives vs Cancer
Close

Young lives vs Cancer support young people under 25 with cancer, and their families, to get the help they need during their cancer treatment and beyond, including bereaved families living with emotional distress. 

Pharmacies

Breatheasy groups
Close

The support group is a way to learn more about living with a lung condition and share your experiences and stories with others.

District Nursing
Close

The team delivers nursing care to housebound patient's including wound care, assessment, palliative care, medication, pressure ulcer management.

Fair Havens Community Service
Close

Fair Havens Community Team provides assessment, support advice and care for people wishing to be cared  and supported in their locality community setting. Support is available for those in care homes.

The team is available 24 hours a day, at the end of the phone, for advice and support, to arrange additional home visits. Visits to Fair Havens Hub, the Rapid access service or In Patient Unit is also available.

Please watch this video for more information.

Fair Havens Hospice In Patient Unit
Close

Referrals may be made either by a patient or carer, or any professional directly involved in the patient’s care. Anyone making a referral must have the consent of the patient.

Fair Havens In Patient Unit provides assessment and management of physical symptoms that are proving difficult to control, such as pain, nausea, vomiting, and breathlessness. Respite care is also available for short stays enabling their carers to rest and recuperate. There are 8 beds in the unit.

Some patients may only require a stay for a few days before going home again. Some people choose to receive hospice care several times during their illness, depending on their condition and their wishes.

Please watch this video for more information.

Hospice UK
Close

Hospice UK can help find a hospice, provide infromation and support about end of life care and guidance to plan ahead.

Little Havens Hospice
Close

Little Havens provides specialist care and support for babies, children and young people requiring specialist in-patient care for symptom management, respite and end of life care.

Palliative Care Nursing Team
Close

The palliative care team aims to provide support and management of physical symptoms such as pain, and also provide psychological, social and spiritual care to patients and their families.

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