End of life care - where you can receive care

This guide is for people who are approaching the end of their life. Some parts of it may also be useful for people who are caring for someone who is dying, or people who want to plan for their own end of life care.

It covers what to expect, thinking about your wishes for your future care, and looking after your emotional and psychological wellbeing.

Coronavirus advice

If you or a loved one is approaching the end of life, you may be concerned about how coronavirus will affect things. Find information and advice:

• Macmillan: End of life care and coronavirus

This section contains information about what end of life care involves, when it starts, and things you may want to think about.

These include advice on how to cope financially, and how and where you can be cared for, for example:

• care at home


• care in a care home


• care in hospital


• hospice care

This is sometimes called advance care planning, and involves thinking and talking about your wishes for how you're cared for in the final months of your life. This can include treatments you do not want to have.

Planning ahead like this can help you let people know your wishes and feelings while you're still able to. Letting your family know about your wishes could help them if they have to make decisions about your care.

These links take you to more information on:

Why plan ahead – how you and your family, friends and carers can benefit from planning ahead for your future care.

Advance statement – find out what an advance statement is, and how you can create one to let people know your wishes.

Advance decision (living will) – if you do not want certain kinds of treatment in the future, you can make a legally binding advance decision.

Lasting power of attorney – find out how you can legally appoint someone to make decisions about your care in the future if you become unable to make decisions yourself.

GOV.UK information about making a will

Looking after your health and wellbeing is important when you're living with a terminal (life-limiting) condition.

These pages aim to answer questions you may have about pain and other symptoms, and provide ideas for coping:

Coping with a terminal illness – information, sources of support and tips from experts on how to cope with a terminal diagnosis.

Managing pain and other symptoms – find out how pain and other symptoms, such as constipation, can be managed. Includes tips for carers.

Ways to start talking about your illness – ideas on how to have conversations about your illness and dying.

Physical changes in the last hours and days – talks about changes to your body that may happen in the last stages of life.

If you are approaching the end of life, you may be offered care in a variety of settings. The palliative care team will organise for you to be cared for according to your wishes.

You can receive end of life care:

• at home


• in a care home


• in a hospital


• in a hospice

You may not need to move away from home to receive care, as end of life care can often be provided at home. Sometimes this is available at any time of the day or night.

To find out whether you can receive nursing care or hospice care at home, check with your GP.

Read more about care at home.

You can receive end of life care in a care home, where trained staff are available to look after you day and night.

Read more about care in a care home.

You may be cared for in hospital. Many hospitals have specialist palliative care teams who work alongside and support the hospital doctors, nurses, and other health and social care professionals.

Read more about care in hospital.

Hospice care is provided by a specialist unit run by a team of doctors, nurses, social workers, counsellors and trained volunteers.

Hospice care can take place in your own home, as an inpatient at a hospice or as a day patient visiting the hospice.

Read more about hospice care.

If you choose to receive care at home, in a care home or in a hospice, you should be assessed for NHS continuing healthcare.

Continuing healthcare is care given over an extended period to meet the physical or mental health needs of adults with a disability, injury or illness.

It involves a package of care arranged and funded by the NHS, and is free of charge to the person receiving the care. This is sometimes called fully funded NHS care.

If there is someone looking after you, such as a partner or relative, it could be helpful for them to get a carers assessment to see whether they qualify for local authority help.

You are entitled to high-quality end of life care, wherever you receive it. If you have questions or comments about your care, the service providing it will want to hear your views.

Find out who you can speak to if you have any concerns.

healthtalk.org has videos and written interviews of people talking about where they want to be cared for at the end of life.