Palliative care at home

What is palliative care at home?

Palliative care is specialist support for people living with a serious or life-limiting illness. Its goal is to improve quality of life: managing symptoms, easing pain, and offering emotional support to your loved one and your family.

You can arrange palliative care wherever your loved one calls home, so they can stay comfortable and keep their independence and dignity. King's College London's survey on UK attitudes to death and dying found that 40% of people didn't know how to access palliative care in their area, and 47% worry about a loved one having a painful or undignified death. Understanding your options early, and knowing who to turn to, can ease a lot of that uncertainty.

Palliative care is usually delivered in stages, from diagnosis through to end-of-life and bereavement support. Read our guide to the 5 stages of palliative care to understand what each stage involves.

When should someone be offered palliative care?

Palliative care can be offered as soon as a serious or life-limiting illness is diagnosed. It's often associated with terminal diagnoses, but it can help much earlier too, especially once symptoms become harder to manage, or as conditions like dementia, motor neurone disease, or advanced cancer progress.

Starting palliative care early can ease physical symptoms, reduce emotional distress, and provide personalised support for months or years, not just in someone's final weeks. Introducing this support as soon as challenges arise can make a real difference for your loved one and your whole family.

What can a live-in carer help with during palliative care?

A live-in carer provides one-to-one practical, emotional, and household support at home, working alongside your loved one's NHS palliative care team. They don't replace clinical or nursing care. Instead, they handle the day-to-day support that helps your loved one stay comfortable, safe, and at home.

Carers on the Elder platform can help with:

• Personal care – washing, dressing, oral hygiene, and grooming
• Continence care – help with using the toilet or changing pads
• Medication reminders – supporting the right medication at the right time
• Mobility support – helping your loved one move safely around the home
• Meal preparation – small, frequent meals suited to their preferences, especially useful if their appetite has changed
• Everyday comfort – helping your loved one sit upright if they're short of breath, keeping a room calm and cool, or supporting a soothing bedtime routine
• Household tasks – cleaning, laundry, pet care, and greeting visitors
• Family updates – sharing regular updates with relatives who can't be there every day
• Emotional and therapeutic support – companionship, and calming activities like music or aromatherapy

What conditions qualify for palliative care?

Palliative care at home is available for any serious or life-limiting condition where the focus has shifted from cure to comfort and quality of life. Eligibility doesn't depend on prognosis length – care can run alongside curative treatment for months or years.

Common conditions that may qualify for palliative care include:

• Advanced cancer
• Chronic lung disease
• Motor neurone disease
• Parkinson’s disease
• Dementia
• Advanced heart disease, such as congestive heart failure
• Advanced kidney disease
• Stroke or other neurological conditions.

What else should be arranged alongside palliative care?

Two legal arrangements are worth putting in place alongside palliative care, so your loved one's wishes are followed and their future care is in trusted hands:

1. Advance Decision

A legal document setting out your loved one's wishes for medical treatment and care, for a time when they're no longer able to communicate or decide for themselves. It helps make sure their wishes are respected.

2. Lasting Power of Attorney

A trusted person your loved one legally appoints to make decisions about their health and personal affairs if they're unable to. A Lasting Power of Attorney makes sure someone can act in their best interests.

How much does palliative care at home cost?

The cost of palliative care depends on how it’s funded and the level of support required. NHS palliative nursing care is free at the point of use. However, personal and household care provided by a live-in carer is usually self-funded. Families with significant care needs may be eligible for NHS Continuing Healthcare funding, which can cover the full cost.

Live-in palliative care from Elder typically starts from £1,150 per week, depending on the level of support needed. For a full breakdown, including how to apply for funding, see our guide to how much palliative care costs and our overview of funding your care.

How can Elder support with palliative care?

Live-in care can be a valuable form of palliative care, offering practical and emotional support to individuals and their families. It enables people to stay in the comfort of their own home as their condition progresses, rather than moving to a hospital, care home, or hospice – if that’s not needed or desired.

At Elder, our matching process helps you find a carer with the right skills, experience, and personality to meet your needs. This personalised approach ensures they can provide sensitive, one-to-one care while helping to maintain a sense of normality and routine.

Palliative care needs vary depending on the condition. For example:

• People with dementia may require long-term support as symptoms gradually progress.
• Those living with COPD often benefit from care after flare-ups or hospital stays.
• Older adults with cancer may need more intensive care over a shorter period, helping to relieve the burden on family and allow for more meaningful time together.