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End of Life Care at Home in Cambridge

Quiet, practical care for someone nearing the end of their life, and for the people around them.

If you are reading this, you are probably having one of the hardest weeks of your life. We will keep this simple. We provide personal care, comfort and company at home, working alongside the district nursing team and the GP. Our aim is that the person is comfortable and treated with dignity, and that you get to be their family rather than their carer.

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Cambridge Care Services carer sitting quietly with an elderly woman resting in her armchair at home in Cambridge

What We Can and Cannot Do

It helps to be clear about this early.

We provide

Personal care, help with washing, dressing, continence and mouth care, help with position and comfort, drinks and small amounts of food where wanted, company through the day or night, and practical support around the house.

We do not provide

Medical treatment. Pain relief, symptom control, syringe drivers and any clinical decisions are the responsibility of the district nursing team, the GP and the specialist palliative care service. Our carers can prompt or assist with medication where this has been assessed and permitted. If something changes, we contact the nursing team straight away.

What Our Carers Do

  • Comfort and personal care

    Gentle washing, fresh clothing and bedding, mouth care, and help with position so the person is as comfortable as possible.

  • Being there

    Sitting with someone so they are not alone, whether they are awake, sleeping or no longer speaking. Presence matters even when conversation has stopped.

  • Through the night

    Overnight support where staffing allows, so someone is awake in the house and the family can sleep.

  • The practical things

    Laundry, tidying, answering the door, making tea for visitors, and quietly keeping the house running.

  • Supporting the family

    Explaining what is happening when people want to know, and saying nothing when they do not.

  • Talking to the professionals

    Contacting the district nurses or GP when something changes, and keeping clear records so nothing is missed.

What Matters to Them

People often have clear preferences about how they want the end of their life to be, and those preferences are easily lost between services.

If there is an advance care plan, a recorded preference about where they want to be, a DNACPR decision or religious or cultural wishes, tell us and we will record them in the care plan kept in the home. Our carers are told before they visit. Small things count here too: which side they like to lie on, whether the radio should be on, who they want in the room, and who they do not.

For the People Around Them

Families caring for someone at the end of life often stop sleeping and stop eating properly, and then feel guilty for being tired.

Having a carer in the house is not giving up or handing over. It means you can sit with them and hold their hand instead of managing the washing and the bed changes. It means someone else is awake at 3am. Some families want us there constantly, others want a couple of visits a day and the rest of the time to themselves. Both are right.

How We Arrange Care

  1. 1

    Call us

    Tell us what is happening. There is no form to fill in and no process to work through first.

  2. 2

    A visit as soon as we can

    We come and see the situation, talk to the family and the professionals involved, and agree what would help.

  3. 3

    Care starts

    We keep the plan simple and change it as things change, because they will.

  4. 4

    Afterwards

    We do not disappear the moment care ends. We will return anything that belongs to you, and we can point you towards bereavement support in Cambridgeshire if you would like it.

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Alongside the Nursing and Hospice Teams

We work with district nurses, GPs, community palliative care teams, hospice at home services and discharge teams across Cambridge and South Cambridgeshire.

We follow the instructions recorded in the care plan, contact the right person when something changes, and will say honestly if a package cannot be staffed safely rather than accepting it and letting a family down.

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Questions Families Ask

Other Ways We Can Help

If You Would Like to Talk

You do not need to have decided anything. If you want to know what is possible, please call. We will not push you towards anything.

Most families find it easier to call us on 07917 611 425. If you would rather we called you, leave your details below.

Only if you want to. A phone call is often easier.

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