End of Life Care at Foxburrow Grange

End of Life Care at Foxburrow Grange, Colchester.

When someone is nearing the end of their life, it’s understandable to go through a turmoil of emotions, especially if your loved one has been very unwell. At Foxburrow Grange, our experienced nurse care team will expertly help your loved one spend their last few months, or years, of their life in peace and comfort, surrounded by everything they need to manage their condition.

What Actually is End Of Life Care?

From a healthcare perspective, end of life care refers to the care and support for those who are in the last months or years of their life. Although there may be no cure for these people’s health condition or disease, end of life care helps them to live as comfortably as possible until they die and gives them a dignified death. You can receive end of life care at home, in hospital, in a hospice or in a care home, depending on the level of care you need. You have the right to say where you want to receive care and where you want to die - this should all be included in your care plan, which our care team you can put together with family, friends and carers.

When Does End of Life Care Begin?

End of life care is flexible - it begins when someone starts to need it and can last anywhere from a few days to a few years. For example, if someone experiences a catastrophic event such as a stroke, they may only require end of life care for a few days or weeks, as opposed to someone who is receiving consistent end of life care over the course of many months or years to manage a condition. There are many different circumstances that may call for end of life care. These include:

• Someone with an advanced and incurable or life limiting illness, such as cancer, dementia or motor neurone disease

• Someone who is at risk of dying from a sudden change to an existing health condition

• Someone who has a life threatening acute condition caused by a sudden catastrophic event, such as a stroke or heart attack

• Someone who is generally frail and is expected to die within 12 months. They may also have co-existing health conditions

Palliative Care and End Of Life Care - What is the Difference ?

Palliative care is care term included in the end of life care umbrella of services, and refers to care for someone who has an illness that cannot be cured. Palliative care focuses on providing relief from symptoms, making that person as comfortable as possible, including managing their pain and other symptoms and improving their quality of life, rather than extending a patient’s life. An holistic approach to palliative care, which we advocate in Foxburrow Grange can also include psychological, social and spiritual support for the person, their family and friends and carers. Although it is usually used to refer to someone who is approaching the end of their life, you can in fact receive palliative care earlier in your illness, alongside other therapies.

Palliative Care Options

Palliative care can consist of a number of different services, including:

• Personal care, including dressing, bathing and toileting

• Assistance with medication and managing symptoms

• Pain management; both physical and emotional

• Help with mobility

• Meal preparation and food shopping

• Continence care

• Companionship

• Psychological support; both for the person and also their family

Professionals Involved

There may be a number of health and social care professionals involved in your loved one's end of life care. Those involved will depend on the dying person’s care needs and condition. Foxburrow Grange will help to organise care services from any other healthcare professionals where required, and provide practical and emotional support and offer advice. There are specialist types of nurses, such as palliative care clinical nurse specialists and community nurses, who specialise in helping patients with illnesses such as cancer, and their families with challenges such as pain management and psychological support. They will also help the patient to make a care plan for the future.

Palliative Care Team

A palliative care team includes many healthcare professionals, including doctors, nurses, occupational therapists and physiotherapists. These experts help to manage pain and offer emotional, spiritual and psychological support. In your care journey, you may also come across counsellors and volunteers who provide rehabilitation, physiotherapy and bereavement care services, plus any spiritual and psychological help that you might need.

Caring for someone at the end of their life improves their quality of life, but the process is often difficult; both physically and emotionally. If you are caring for someone at home, make sure you consider your own needs too and talk to someone if it all gets too much. Family, friends and healthcare professionals are there to help; whether it’s picking up some shopping or stepping in to help with childcare. There are also plenty of support lines and counselling services available when you need.