You can receive end of life care in a care home, if you wish. There, trained staff should be available to look after you day and night. They can provide the same type of care you may have been receiving at home, such as help with washing, dressing and providing meals.
Some care homes provide skilled nursing care to residents when they need it. These are sometimes called nursing homes, and they are suitable for people who have a disability, a serious long-term condition or very restricted mobility.
Care homes can be run by:
- voluntary organisations
- private individuals
- private companies
- the local council
Care homes near you
You can talk to your local council's adult social care services department, GP or district nurse, palliative care team, or your hospital doctor or nurse to find out what is available in your area.
When considering a care home, you should ask about its experience and support in providing end of life care. Questions to ask include:
- what does the Care Quality Commission (CQC) say about the service?
- do the care home staff receive regular end of life care training?
- what are the arrangements for care and support from the GP and community nurses, both for routine care and for emergencies?
- does the care home participate in a service improvement programme run by local health or social care services?
- is the care home accredited for the quality of its service by the Gold Standards Framework or other accreditation system that's approved by the Care Quality Commission?
Your care may involve the local hospital's palliative care team, the local hospice team, your GP, community nurses and district nurses.
You can find care homes in your area with CQC's care homes directory.
Paying for your care
If you are eligible for local authority funding, it might cover all or part of the cost of a care home. If the care home costs more than the council is prepared to pay, you or your family will have to pay the difference.
You may be eligible for NHS continuing healthcare if you're an adult with certain health needs. For example, this includes having a disability, injury or illness over an extended period of time, which causes physical or mental health problems.
NHS continuing healthcare is a package of care that includes your care home fees being paid for by the NHS. It's arranged and funded by the NHS, so it's free of charge to the person receiving the care. It's sometimes called "fully funded NHS care".
You will need to have an assessment to see if you are eligible for NHS continuing healthcare. You can receive this type of healthcare in any setting (apart from in some types of hospitals), including in your home or in a care home.
If you are not eligible for NHS continuing healthcare and live in a care home that employs registered nurses, you may be able to receive NHS-funded nursing care if you need it.
Find out more about NHS continuing healthcare and NHS-funded nursing care on GOV.UK
Read more about what you can expect from end of life care.