Palliative care at home

What is palliative care?

Palliative care is specialist support for people living with a serious or life-limiting illness. Its primary goal is to improve quality of life by managing symptoms, alleviating pain, and providing emotional support to both the individual and their family.

Palliative care can be delivered at home, ensuring comfort and dignity while respecting the personal wishes of the patient. It is often provided in stages, depending on the progression of the illness – learn more in our guide to the 5 stages of palliative care.

When should someone be offered palliative care?

Palliative care should be offered as soon as a serious or life-limiting illness is diagnosed – there is no need to wait for a specific stage. While it is often associated with terminal diagnoses, it may also be appropriate earlier, especially when symptoms become difficult to manage or as conditions such as dementia, motor neurone disease, or advanced cancer progress.

Early access to palliative care can help relieve physical symptoms, ease emotional distress, and provide personalised support. Whether required for months or years, introducing this support when challenges first arise can significantly benefit both the individual and their loved ones.

What else should be arranged alongside palliative care?

As part of planning for palliative care, there are two important legal and practical arrangements that can help ensure your wishes are followed and your future care is in trusted hands:

1. Advance Decision

This is a legal document that outlines your preferences for medical treatment and care in situations where you’re no longer able to communicate or make decisions yourself. It helps ensure your wishes are respected.

2. Lasting Power of Attorney

This is a trusted person you legally appoint to make decisions about your healthcare and personal affairs if you’re unable to do so. Choosing a Lasting Power of Attorney ensures someone can advocate for your best interests.

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 symptoms can be managed with palliative care?

While many associate palliative care with pain relief, not everyone experiences pain the same way. In fact, symptoms can vary widely depending on the person, their diagnosis, and the treatment they’re receiving.

Some of the most common symptoms palliative care helps manage include:

• Pain – managed through medication and comfort strategies.
• Loss of appetite – often supported by small, frequent meals and tailored nutrition advice.
• Nausea – caused by treatment or illness, and eased with dietary changes or anti-sickness medication.
• Constipation – often due to medication or reduced mobility, supported with hydration and diet.
• Shortness of breath – eased by sitting up as much as possible, open windows or fans, and sometimes medication.
• Confusion – common in advanced stages of illness and addressed through medical care and environment adjustments.
• Difficulty sleeping – supported through routine, relaxation techniques, and, where appropriate, medication.

Palliative care teams tailor support based on individual needs, ensuring each person receives the right level of comfort, dignity, and care at home.

Why do doctors recommend palliative care?

Doctors may recommend palliative care for a number of reasons, depending on the stage and nature of the illness. These can include:

• Following a diagnosis

  Doctors may introduce palliative care after diagnosing a life-limiting condition to help patients and families plan ahead and understand their options.

• To support other treatments

  Palliative care can run alongside treatments like radiotherapy, helping to manage symptoms and improve overall comfort.

• When a condition can’t be cured

  If curative treatment is no longer effective, palliative care focuses on relieving symptoms and maintaining the best possible quality of life.

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.

Why families choose Elder for palliative care

Palliative care needs continuity. Rotating visiting carers and unfamiliar faces can be unsettling for someone living with a serious illness, and exhausting for families managing the rotas. Elder's model is different: one carer who lives in the home gets to know the person, their routines and their wishes, and stays with them through the months ahead.

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  You choose who comes into your home

  Browse real carer profiles, read reviews from families like yours, speak to carers before committing, and make the choice yourself. Nobody is ever assigned to you without your agreement.

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  15,000+ five-star reviews

  More than 15,000 families have reviewed their experience with Elder on Trustpilot. Read what they say – because their word matters more than ours.

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  Real peace of mind, wherever you are

  Daily updates, notes and photos from your carer through the MyElder app mean you always know what’s happening – without having to chase. Especially if you live far away.

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  The whole family, kept in the loop

  Give siblings or other relatives their own access to MyElder – so everyone stays informed, not just the person who set care up. No more relaying updates between family members.

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  A real person to call, seven days a week

  Your dedicated Family Support Specialist is there when things feel uncertain – whether you have a practical question, need reassurance, or something needs sorting quickly.

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  Rigorous vetting before introduction

  Every carer goes through identity checks, Enhanced DBS or PVG checks, right-to-work verification, and professional references – all completed before they’re introduced to a family.

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.