You only get one chance to get it right with end-of-life care

End-of-Life Lead Nurse Jacqui Russell talks about our specialist service for people who are deteriorating and nearing the end of their life.

Dying isn’t something most people want to think about, let alone talk about. But you only get one chance to get it right with end-of-life care.

Our end-of-life care service is for terminally ill patients who are rapidly deteriorating. Often already in hospital, these people need immediate assessment and access to expert care, in a hospice, care facility or at home.

Our purpose is to find out exactly what stage people are at, what their clinical needs are, and what they want.

End-of-Life Lead Nurse Jacqui Russell

Our day starts in hospitals, where we take referrals from acute hospitals. As a dedicated nurse-led team, we triage in person and by scrutinising health records, investigations and results. We listen to loved ones and medical professionals. We build a history of what has gone before and what is likely to happen next.

We delve deep into a person’s physical and psychological symptoms, like breathing, pain, nausea and agitation, and how they are managed. We also consider how they are sleeping and the health of their skin, alongside things like social interactions.

In the background we are sourcing suitable care providers or organising hospital-to-home logistics such as transport, accessibility and adaptations. Only when we are confident that everything is in place, can we transfer the patient to where they want to spend their final weeks. Once our patient is in the community, we manage their care needs and symptoms by supporting our community nursing colleagues.

Looking after someone at the end of their life is unpredictable, exhausting and emotive. It’s our job to be open, compassionate, flexible and responsive, while being practical, realistic and meticulous in our care planning.

So, what’s the difference between end of life and general nursing? What sets us apart is our sole focus on choice, control and comfort for the person who is dying. We may only meet patients at the end of their life, but their whole life matters.

Recent widow ‘Martha’ shared how Jacqui and her team helped her husband ‘David ’ to die at home, instead of in hospital.

She said: “From the word go, Jacqui made sure David was at the centre of all decisions.

“The team got to know us as people, not just as patients or a diagnosis, and cared for me as much as they did him.

“Kindness, coupled with top-notch care, really does go a long way in the darkest of times.

“Grief is hard enough but to know David took his last breath where he wanted to be the most, gives me great comfort. I’m not haunted by how I lost him and I have no regrets.”

Find advice about what to do if you or someone you care for is coming to the end of their life.