End of life care
What is palliative care?
Palliative or end of life care is given to people who are in the final stages of their life.
The care aims to allow them to live in as comfortable and dignified a way as possible until they die. Although difficult to approach, there are many ways you can put in place end of life decisions that can help make it easier for you and your family at this difficult time.
The Dyingmatters website offers useful guidance about what you need to consider.
Finding support
Tower Hamlets Enhanced Primary Care Team (EPCT)
Tower Hamlets Enhanced Primary Care Team (EPCT) district nurses and therapists provide end of life care for people in the last months, weeks and days of life in their homes. This may include:
- assisting with equipment provision
- administering medication
- providing nursing care
- supporting the patient and their families.
They work with patients, their families and caregivers to plan ahead and identify what matters to them.
Your GP, or health and social care professionals, can refer you into this service.
Last Years of Life Service
Age UK East London also provide a Last Years of Life Service, in partnership with St Joseph's Hospice. The service provides practical and emotional support to adults 18+ diagnosed with palliative care needs.
Coordinate My Care
It is a good idea to develop a plan so that your care at the end of your life is the way you want it to be. Coordinate My Care is a service that coordinates urgent care for patients.
The service starts with patients filling in an online advance care planning questionnaire called myCMC. The plan then goes to a doctor or nurse who knows the patient. They complete the Coordinate My Care (CMC) plan by adding the patient's:
- diagnosis
- medical details
- resuscitation status
- medications
and recommendations for the urgent care services to follow in an emergency.
Once completed, the plan is approved and is immediately visible to all the urgent care services including 111, out of hours GPs, the ambulance (in their vehicles) and the emergency departments. This way everyone is in the loop with the patient in the middle.
St Joseph’s Hospice
St Joseph’s Hospice provides specialist palliative and end of life care to people in East London who are living with a life-limiting illness.
Your GP, or health and social care professionals, can refer you into this service.