EXPERT PALLIATIVE CARE IN YOUR OWN HOME

At Prestige Nursing & Care we believe that with the right support in place, people needing palliative or end-of-life care can continue living a meaningful and dignified life in their own homes.

For over 75 years, we have supported individuals who require palliative care to enjoy an improved quality of life in their own homes and communities. We are trusted by families up and down the country who need sensitive and respectful palliative/end-of-life care to provide care that evolves to meet changing needs. All whilst ensuring a person’s choices and wishes are met, right up to the end of their life.

Staying at home with our in-home palliative care or end-of-life care means that you can continue to live life your way, whilst benefiting from one-to-one care provided by a competent and compassionate carer.

WHAT IS PALLIATIVE CARE?

Palliative care is the treatment, care and support for people with a life-limiting illness. It aims to ensure a person needing care can have a good quality of life and remain as independent and active as possible in the time they have left.

A life-limiting illness is an illness that cannot be cured and one that you are likely to pass away from. Complex conditions that are life-limiting include advanced cancer, dementia and motor neurone disease.

Care includes managing physical symptoms such as pain, providing personal care which may have become difficult for the person to do themselves, and offering emotional, spiritual and psychological support.

TYPES OF PALLIATIVE CARE

There are four main options for receiving palliative or end-of-life care. While each form of care includes the treatment of symptoms, pain management, and emotional support, the environment in which this care is received varies greatly:

Palliative care in hospital: This form of palliative care is administered in a hospital setting by a specialist care team or a single nurse depending on the care required. It is often delivered over a short period of time until the individual can be discharged to continue their care in another setting such as a hospice, care home or their own home.
Residential palliative nursing in a care home or hospice: For individuals already living in a care home, they may be able to receive the palliative care they need without having to move. Each care home is different and not all will be equipped to provide palliative care.
Day care at a hospice: Some hospices offer similar palliative care as residential care homes, but the individuals receiving care do not spend the night there. A person requiring palliative care can attend for the day to receive the nursing or rehabilitative care they need and then return to their own residence in the evening.
Palliative home care: You may not need to move away from home to receive the care you need, as palliative care can be provided in your own home. Through hourly, respite or palliative live-in home care, a carer will visit or live in your home to provide you with the dedicated care you need.

WHEN SHOULD PALLIATIVE CARE BE PROVIDED?

Palliative care can begin any time after a person is diagnosed with a life-limiting or chronic condition. You do not need to wait until the advanced stages of your illness to begin palliative care. Palliative care may be appropriate any time a person feels they could benefit from extra physical, emotional or practical support to face the challenges that their illness or condition presents.

Several factors should be taken into consideration when deciding whether palliative care is right for you. If treating your symptoms or managing your pain is preventing you from leading the life you want, then it may be time to seek additional support. Palliative care can help you manage your symptoms and receive the emotional support you need to enhance your quality of life.

WHAT IS END-OF-LIFE CARE?

End-of-life care is an important part of palliative care. It is a supportive approach that cares for people who are nearing the end of their life. Most people receiving end-of-life care are in the last year of their life. The focus of end-of-life care is to ensure that the person receiving care is as comfortable as possible in the time they have left. It is during this time that people should talk to friends and family about their wishes to ensure they are considered in the way they are cared for at end-of-life. End-of-life care requires a dignified, respectful and sensitive approach to both the person being cared for and their loved ones.

OUR APPROACH TO PALLIATIVE CARE AT HOME

At Prestige Nursing & Care we provide a care and support package that enables you to live a purposeful and meaningful life in the safety and comfort of your own home. No matter what age you are, the palliative care and support we provide will be guided by you and tailored to your needs, giving you choice over how you live your life and the support you want.

We work collaboratively with our clients and their families to develop a thorough care and support plan that accurately reflects a person’s holistic needs. We also adopt a partnership approach to working with local authority partners, NHS services, multidisciplinary teams, therapists and other community bodies involved in a person’s care. This means we are well-informed so we can provide continuity of care ensuring the right care is in place at the right time. All whilst responding efficiently to changing needs and strengthening care provision when required.

We can support you every step of the way. Our carers understand and respect that this is likely to be a very difficult time for you and your family. Coming to terms with needing palliative care is very upsetting and distressing for everyone involved. Our carers will provide supportive, pragmatic and compassionate palliative/end-of-life care, whilst enhancing well-being.

Carers can offer practical support with daily living and are trained to assist with medication regimes, effectively controlling pain so you are always comfortable. They are trained to ensure an individual’s psychological, social and spiritual needs are met, whilst making sure a person’s wishes, choices and preferences are met until the very end of life.

COST OF PALLIATIVE CARE AT HOME

The cost of palliative / end-of-life care at home is dependent on the level of care and support you require. If you are receiving our hourly palliative care, the overall cost will be determined by the number of visits to your home and their frequency. Our experts will conduct a comprehensive assessment of your needs at your own home, or in hospital if you are awaiting discharge. This will help us to truly understand what you need and therefore how much palliative care at home will cost.

We know that our cost of palliative care is very competitive when compared with other home care providers. It is worth noting that when comparing the cost of home care with a care package in a care home, that the fee you pay for home care is actually for the care and support you receive. In a care home your weekly fee mainly covers your accommodation, food and social activities with the care package being only a small part of what you pay.

You may be entitled to either healthcare funding, social care funding or Government funding to contribute to the cost of palliative care at home. If you are faced with having to finance your own home care (known as self-funding care), there are initiatives available to you, including care fees annuities or equity release schemes that could provide the funds you need for your care and support.

COMPETENT AND COMPASSIONATE PALLIATIVE CARERS

When you choose Prestige Nursing & Care, you can be reassured that the carer who cares for you or your loved one is experienced and expertly trained to provide the support you need. To the high standards you should expect.

If you are receiving complex care at home, the carers we choose to support your needs will have at least six months care or health sector experience before they come to care for you. In addition to completing our induction training programme, which goes above mandatory requirements, they are trained by our registered nurses, clinical experts and other healthcare professionals. This hands-on nurse training means our carers can competently undertake a range of clinical interventions.

We adopt a bespoke approach to training that ensures our carers have the knowledge, skills and aptitude to deliver high-quality complex care that meets the very specific needs of our clients. Through our unrivalled supervision and clinical oversight carers can adapt their approach and evolve the care they provide to meet changing needs.

We are very proud of our carers – each and every one of them is dedicated to providing compassionate, sensitive and dignified complex care at home which means our clients live a fulfilled and meaningful life, with independence and choice, for all of life.

CLINICAL EXCELLENCE AT PRESTIGE NURSING & CARE

Clinical excellence is at the heart of our culture and approach to service delivery at Prestige Nursing & Care. Our nurse-led home care service is monitored and supported by our experienced regional nursing teams. Our team of qualified regional nurses are registered with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC). Each holds a registered nursing qualification in at least one nursing specialism, including general adult nursing, learning and disability nursing, mental health nursing and children’s nursing. They enable the planning and delivery of safe and effective complex care to our clients.

Our nurses work in partnership with our care coordinators, carers, clients and families to identify specific care needs and plan the most appropriate care provision, whilst ensuring all our carers have the skills they need to deliver high standards of nurse-led care. They also provide families with ongoing advice and continual support to ensure they feel reassured about the service we provide.

Case Study

Enabling a dignified end-of-life for Rose Rose is a lady aged 97-years old and her family was referred to Prestige Nursing & Care to support her in the last few weeks of life, as she was suffering heart failure.

Enabling a dignified end-of-life for Rose

Rose is a lady aged 97-years old and her family was referred to Prestige Nursing & Care to support her in the last few weeks of life, as she was suffering heart failure.

Rose had nine sons and their families were all living in very close distance and were all playing their part in caring for her. However, in the latter weeks they required a higher level of support for their mother. Initially Prestige Nursing & Care provided two nights support a week and increased this to four nights as her condition worsened. Rose had reduced mobility and required personal care and continence care. She had full mental capacity, so companionship and emotional support was very important to Rose and her family. The care team provided this sensitively and with the utmost dignity and respect. When family members were visiting Rose, they found the difference in their mother’s condition and appearance every upsetting, so the carers ensured the family were prepared in advance as to the changes in Rose. The care team provided much-needed support to the family throughout and helped the family once Rose passed to make funeral arrangements.

WHAT DOES OUR HOME CARE SERVICE INCLUDE FOR THOSE NEEDING PALLIATIVE CARE?

CONDITION-LED CARE

We provide specialist care of conditions that affect a person’s ability to live well. Whatever specialist condition you are living with, our carers are supported by our expert nursing and clinical teams to ensure you live a life with improved quality and health outcomes, whilst maintaining choice and independence.

EXPERT NURSE-LED CARE

Our service is nurse-led and carers are trained in the clinical skills required to provide care and support for complex, terminal and other medical conditions that impact how you live your life. They are supported by an experienced, dedicated registered nurse who undertakes regular competency assessments to ensure high standards of care delivery and provides clinical monitoring, supervision and support. With this leadership and oversight carers can perform many delegated healthcare tasks and clinical interventions at home.

CONSIDERATE COMPANIONSHIP

Companionship is at the forefront of everything we do. Our carers will support your social, emotional and psychological needs as well as your care needs so you can live a fulfilled life, for all of life. At Prestige Nursing & Care we will match you with the most suitable carers so that interests and backgrounds are aligned as we know this makes for an enriched and enjoyable life. Our carers will support you to maintain friendships and social interests, whilst ensuring you continue to be connected to things you care about in your local community.

SENSITIVE PERSONAL CARE

Our carers are trained to provide personal care in a way that is compassionate, respectful and sensitive. They will support you with the tasks of bathing, personal hygiene, dressing and continence care, whilst ensuring you are always looking and feeling your best as we know how this builds self-esteem.

SAFE MOBILITY AT HOME

Our carers are trained to support safe mobility in and around the home – everything from transferring and positioning to minimising falls through effective assessment of risk, to facilitating and supporting safe movement. They will effectively assess risks and work with clients who wish to take ‘positive risks’ so that they can have as much independence as possible and live life as you wish.

EFFICIENT MEDICATION ADMINISTRATION

For the majority of our clients ensuring medications are managed effectively is critical to their health and well-being. Our carers can manage complex medication regimes, providing sensitive reminders and collecting medication from the pharmacy.

MEAL PREPARATION AND COOKING

Our carers will help by planning your meals, preparing and cooking your food for you, or with you whilst supporting you to eat if needed. They will focus on ensuring the food you eat meets your health and nutritional needs, whilst maintaining your preferences and choices.

HOUSEHOLD TASKS IN AND OUT OF THE HOME

Our carers will make sure your house is clean, laundry is done as required and will undertake any shopping or errands outside the home. They will also happily provide care to your beloved pet.

HOME FROM HOSPITAL

We work closely with community nursing teams and hospital discharge planners to support a swift and effective discharge from hospital ensuring the right care and support is in place. Our high-quality, home care service delivered by trained and experienced carers and overseen by clinical experts is focused on achieving outcomes that significantly reduce hospital admissions.

CARE MANAGEMENT LOCAL TO YOU

Our responsive and reliable local nurse-led service for those needing palliative care means we can put a care pathway and plan in place quickly. In many cases within 24 hours.

We work in partnership with healthcare professionals, case managers, families and personal injury lawyers to ensure we have an in-depth understanding of a client’s needs. Our local registered nurse will conduct a comprehensive assessment of your needs at home or in any specialist care setting enabling a plan of care and support to be developed that meets all your needs.

Our approach to care planning, whether it is for hourly, respite care or live-in care, ensures we capture all your preferences and wishes so you can live a contented life in the comfort of your own home. We take time to find the carer that would best meet your care and support needs, making sure they are closely aligned with how you wish to live your life. Once care is in place, our local teams made up of care and clinical experts provide you, your family and our carer with an abundance of ongoing support, reassuring you that you or your loved one is receiving the very best care at home.

WHY CHOOSE A FULLY REGULATED SERVICE?

Prestige Nursing & Care is not an agency. Unlike a home care agency, we provide a fully managed and regulated care at home service, which means our clients, their families and our professional partners can be reassured that the care and support we provide those living with life-limiting or chronic illness is of the very highest quality.

Our service is inspected by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in England and the Scottish Care Inspectorate (SCI) in Scotland. We are proud that 96% of our inspected services have been rated as providing a ‘Good’ service, with 4% rated ‘Outstanding’. All our services in Scotland have been awarded a five-star rating.

Our accredited service for complex care, which meets local and national quality standards and ensures a consistent approach to the care we provide, provides peace of mind and reassurance that our service is of the highest quality.

RESPONSIVE LOCAL TEAMS WITH NATIONWIDE COVERAGE

We provide care and support to those needing palliative care in over 30 locations in the heart of communities across England and Scotland. The fully managed service we provide is highly responsive and our experts local to you can put care packages in place quickly, working in collaboration with local healthcare professionals, multidisciplinary teams, therapeutic care providers and other community support services. We know this holistic approach ensures our clients get the best out of life, for all of life.

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