End of Life and Palliative Care

Sensitive End of Life and Palliative Care

When a person approaches the end of their life due to an ongoing or degenerative condition, medical prognosis or advanced age, their care becomes pivotal to ensuring those days, weeks or months are spent in comfort. Forest Healthcare offers professional, compassionate, practical care and emotional support for residents and their families, ensuring they use their time together well and have a sustained quality of life.

The primary aim of our care teams is to provide relief from pain or discomfort, offer dignity and assistance, and help palliative care residents with their physical and mental well-being. A home-from-home setting is more relaxed and comforting than a hospital, and our end-of-life care professionals can guide and support both the patient and their loved ones.

Understanding Palliative and End of Life Care Services

End-of-life care is always adapted to the needs, wishes and preferences of the individual. At Forest Healthcare we take a holistic approach, respecting the right of a person to make autonomous decisions about daily life and routines, irrespective of any incurable illness or condition they may be living with. In many cases, nursing teams can plan ahead to ensure they understand how symptoms may change and how to relieve them.

Residents receiving palliative care may also have a life-limiting illness, but one that remains at an early stage. In this case, the resident’s care plan will cover the treatment options prescribed by the relevant healthcare professionals, ensuring that a serious illness continues to be managed.

One of the many important aspects of end-of-life care is spiritual support, and the assurances palliative care teams provide to loved ones, who often find choosing an end-of-life care centre distressing. Across the Forest Healthcare group, we have a wealth of experience, including specialists offering condition-specific and nursing care, alongside empathy and comfort to all parties.

It is essential to clarify that end-of-life care is not based on expediting or assisting in the death of a person who may be very unwell or approaching their last weeks or days. Instead, it focuses on protecting their quality of life, managing pain, and ensuring they have gentle care and assistance during this difficult period.

Finding High-Quality Palliative Care Services

Forest Healthcare is an award-winning group of care centres offering private accommodation and nursing centres that add an extra layer of medical supervision and assistance. The below care home locations offer palliative care and support for residents with terminal illnesses or end-of-life care for older adults.

If you wish to learn more about palliative care services or the types of end-of-life support available at any of these facilities, please contact our dedicated care managers to arrange an in-person chat.

Types of End of Life and Palliative Care Services

As with all residential care, the most suitable centre for you or your family member will depend on the nature of the care they require and the treatments, therapies or medications needed to relieve suffering and advocate for the best possible quality of life.

Many residents opt for a care centre with a palliative care team when they have been diagnosed with a life-threatening illness. Other residents are in older age and prefer palliative care since there is no likelihood that they will recover mobility or expect a degenerative condition such as dementia to impact their ability to remain independent going forward.

Having private, comfortable accommodation in a fully equipped care or nursing centre offers the peace of mind that if their health or cognition declines, qualified care teams and specialised medical care professionals will be on hand to help.

Our palliative care teams liaise closely with loved ones, social care professionals and other consultants or specialists engaged with the medical care or treatment of a resident, ensuring our nurses and care teams are fully informed about any changes, medications or support required.

Forest Healthcare also provides end-of-life care for residents experiencing the final symptoms of a condition. In these scenarios, our role is to ensure the resident, or their appointed family representative, has control over all decisions, upholding the wishes set out in a living will. Living wills are also referred to as advance directives. These formal notifications inform care providers and healthcare professionals if you wish to refuse treatment, such as ventilation, allowing you to dictate how you are cared for if you cannot communicate your wishes.

What to Expect From a Specialist Residential Palliative Care Team

We often speak with families and individuals who recognise the importance of dedicated, sympathetic care but are unsure what services are included in end-of-life support. This topic is naturally often emotionally challenging, and we are always happy to discuss your needs or that of a loved one in confidence and answer as many questions as you wish.

While the exact palliative care services provided will depend on the resident, the amount of help they need with managing symptoms, and their diagnosis and prognosis, our overall responsibility to all residents who receive palliative care include:

• Administering pain relief and helping to control and relieve physical symptoms.
• Providing respectful support, including mental health assistance.
• Upholding residents’ wishes to practise religious, faith-based, and spiritual prayer.
• Maintaining quality of life through varied activities and supported family visits.
• Practical and emotional help for loved ones at every stage of an illness.

Please get in touch with Forest Healthcare for further information about palliative and end-of-life care and the numerous other specialised care services we offer, including those for older and younger adults and residents with physical disabilities or life-limiting illnesses.

The specifics involved for each resident will be determined by their diagnosis and further assessments, but in general they will benefit from the features below.

• Pain relief
• Alleviation of other symptoms
• Mental and physical health management
• Psychological and spiritual aspects
• Focus on quality of life
• Practical and emotional support for each resident and their family