What is Palliative Care
Palliative care is for any stage of a life limiting condition and can be provided alongside treatments such as chemotherapy, radiotherapy, or surgery. It works to make everyday life better by helping people make practical plans and providing support with pain relief and other symptoms such as loss of appetite, anxiety, problems sleeping, nausea and vomiting.
Palliative care includes caring for someone at the end of their life, but receiving palliative care may not mean that a person is likely to die soon. Some people may receive palliative care for many years.
- Read more from NHS England - Palliative and end of life care
End of life care is provided by a range of health and social care professions both in and outside of hospital. It is the total care of a person with an advanced, progressive or incurable illness or frailty. It is not just about dying. Support will be given to those who may be in the last days, weeks or months of their life and will continue as long as is needed.
We aim to support the people we provide end of life care to, to live well before dying with peace and dignity, in a place of their choice.
- Read more on End of life care - NHS
Each of us has unique needs and preferences regarding our own palliative care. We will ensure that you, and whoever else you wish, are aware of all the choices available. We will then support you to identify the personalised care you want to receive. This is sometimes called Advance Care Planning
- To find out more about Advance Care Planning Visit the NHS website to find out more about why plan ahead?
Watch a four minute video Five Simple Steps to Advance Care Planning below.
We recognise that personalised care means much more than just medical treatment and nursing care. This often includes a wide range of personal needs and likings such as financial matters, employment issues, religion and spiritual needs, housing, and other personal preferences. This is sometimes called an Advance Statement.
- Find out more about Advance statement about your wishes - NHS
- Watch “Tell 3 People” videos, about letting people know your wishes for the future
When providing palliative care to a child or young person our Children’s Community Nursing Team (CNNT) works closely with a wide range of other teams and services. When necessary, this includes Alder Hey and Claire House children’s hospice.
The role of the Children’s Community Nursing Team is to provide flexible support to families as well as give regular updates to the specialist palliative care team. This ensures the child or young person is always receiving appropriate care and support.
You can contact the Children’s Community Nursing Team at:
Manor Farm Primary Care Resource Centre
Manor Farm Road
Huyton. L36 0UB
Tel: 0151 351 8810
District nurses are available to provide care to patients with health needs 24 hour per day, 365 days per year. Each GP practice has an identified District Nursing team who give support and advice to patients and their carers in relation to their ongoing treatment including palliative care and care of the dying.
They will make onward referrals to other teams such as Speech and Language team, Dietetic team and falls teams. If symptoms are complex and difficult to manage they will also refer to the Specialist Palliative Care team to support and plan care.
Bereavement support
We understand the emotional impact of losing a loved one and continue to provide support to family and friends following a bereavement. This includes signposting to national and local providers of professional support and advice. See resources and support below.
Contacts for local support
- Liverpool Bereavement Services Supporting children and adults, across Halton, Knowsley, Sefton, St Helens and Liverpool, who have experienced bereavement and loss.
- Cruse Providing a wide range of support and information to bereaved children and adults across England.
- Listening Ear Provides a therapeutic pathway for people of all ages across Knowsley and St Helens who are not recovering following their experiences of bereavement.
- The David Project Supporting people with learning disabilities across Merseyside following a bereavement.
National support organisations
- Sue Ryder can help you to become grief kind and support people you care about who are coping with grief. With the right help, we can learn to live with grief.
- The Good Grief Trust Is run by the bereaved for the bereaved. They truly understand how it feels to lose those that we love.
- Marie Currie. Grieving in your own way, how to process and deal with grief
NHS information
- Get help with grief after bereavement or loss - NHS most people experience grief when they lose something or someone important to them. If these feelings are affecting your life, there are things you can try that may help.
Resources
- Sue Ryder can help you to become grief kind and support people you care about who are coping with grief. With the right help, we can learn to live with grief.