5.2 Describe a range of sources of support to address the needs of individuals and key people at the end of life

This guide will help you answer 5.2 Describe a range of sources of support to address the needs of individuals and key people at the end of life.

Support at the end of life matters for both individuals and those close to them. People facing this stage often need a mix of practical, emotional and spiritual help. Making the right support available ensures dignity, manages symptoms and reduces anxiety. Key people such as family members, close friends and carers need guidance and reassurance too.

A range of sources can provide this support. These can include health professionals, voluntary groups, faith leaders and community resources. Each source offers different benefits. Understanding what is available helps you meet the needs of those in your care in a sensitive and thoughtful way.

Palliative Care Teams

Palliative care teams are specialist groups. Their job is to manage pain, symptoms and distress at the end of life. Most NHS trusts across the UK offer access to palliative care, both in hospitals and in the community.

These teams can include:

• Specialist nurses
• Doctors (consultants in palliative medicine)
• Occupational therapists
• Physiotherapists
• Social workers

This team works together with the person, their relatives, and other care staff. Their main aim is comfort, not cure. They give advice on medication, ways to ease symptoms, and emotional support. They may also help coordinate other services. Palliative care teams often offer support to relatives before and after death.

Hospice Care

Hospices provide expert care for people in the last stages of life. They focus on comfort, dignity and emotional wellbeing. Hospice care is often available free, either in a dedicated building or through a team visiting people at home.

Hospices offer:

• Pain relief and symptom control
• Physical, practical and emotional support
• Short-term stays for symptom-management (respite)
• End-of-life support in a homely environment
• Counselling and bereavement care for families

Hospice support is holistic, meaning it looks at all needs, not just medical. This helps make people feel valued and respected during their final days or weeks.

General Practitioners (GPs)

GPs have a long-term relationship with many patients and their families. Their local knowledge makes them a reliable source of support. GPs can visit people at home, prescribe medicines, arrange referrals and provide guidance on what to expect. They often coordinate with district nurses and palliative care teams.

GPs support key people too. Families often turn to them for advice about pain control, feeding and hydration, what changes to watch for, and how to manage at home. The doctor can arrange home care packages or extra equipment if needed.

District Nurses

District nurses give clinical nursing care in people’s homes or in care homes. At the end of life, they focus on:

• Wound care
• Pain and symptom management
• Setting up and monitoring medication (such as syringe drivers)
• Giving support to family carers about personal care or administering medication

District nurses teach family members how to manage changing needs. Their visits are regular and they can alert other professionals if the person’s condition changes.

Care Workers

Care workers are often closest to people during daily life. They support with personal care, eating, drinking and hygiene. At the end of life, their role expands to include emotional reassurance, dignity, privacy and comfort. Care workers encourage independence where possible and keep the person safe.

They may help explain changes to key people and encourage their involvement. They report concerns to other professionals. For many families, the care worker is a trusted figure and source of comfort.

Hospital Teams

Sometimes people spend their final days in hospital. Support teams there include:

• Specialist nurses
• Hospital chaplaincy teams
• Psychological services
• Rapid response teams for urgent needs

Hospitals may offer a dedicated palliative care team who work closely with ward staff. Social workers attached to hospitals can help with decisions about discharge, home care or hospice referral. The hospital’s spiritual care team can offer guidance or prayer for any faith, or simply a listening ear.

Social Services

Local authority social services play a key part, especially for people living at home or in residential care. Social workers assess needs, organise care packages, offer financial advice and can signpost to counselling or bereavement services.

For families, social services can help with:

• Carer’s assessments
• Short breaks for carers
• Blue Badges for parking
• Applications for Disability Living Allowance or Attendance Allowance

Social workers offer a practical focus and help reduce the stress of paperwork.

Occupational Therapists and Physiotherapists

These professionals support independence, comfort and safety.

Occupational therapists give advice on:

• Aids and adaptations to the home
• Equipment such as hospital beds, hoists or commodes
• Techniques to help with daily activities

Physiotherapists focus on mobility, pain relief and preventing complications such as bedsores. They work to make the person as comfortable as possible in their own home or care setting.

Pharmacists

Pharmacists support correct and safe use of medicines. Some are based in local high street pharmacies; others work in hospitals or alongside GP practices.

Their support includes:

• Giving advice about side-effects and safe storage
• Ensuring prompt supply of necessary medications (such as pain relief or medicines for breathlessness)
• Signposting to services such as repeat prescription delivery

Pharmacists may offer a quiet space to talk in confidence about concerns over medication or symptoms.

Faith Leaders and Spiritual Advisors

Spiritual and religious support can comfort many people at the end of life. Faith leaders, such as priests, imams, rabbis or community elders, provide prayer, blessings, religious sacraments or simply company.

Spiritual support addresses questions of meaning and peace. Many hospices and hospitals have chaplaincy teams who will support people of any faith or none.

These advisors help families during and after bereavement. They may arrange funerals or memorial services, offer guidance about faith customs, and act as a listening ear in times of distress.

Charities and Voluntary Groups

Charities can be a major source of support and information.

Key groups include:

• Marie Curie: Support nurses and helplines for advice and care at home
• Macmillan Cancer Support: Cancer-specific advice, benefits guidance, trained volunteers
• Age UK: Advice for older people and those supporting them
• Sue Ryder: Palliative, neurological and bereavement care
• Compassionate Friends and Cruse Bereavement Support: Care for the bereaved

Charities offer:

• Printed and online information
• Telephone helplines
• Practical help at home or in day-care centres
• Peer support and volunteer befriending
• Bereavement counselling

Voluntary groups sometimes provide transport, sitting services or simple things like shopping.

Family, Friends and Community

Often the most valued support comes from the person’s own network of family and friends. Their help is informal but vital. This might include:

• Providing company and emotional reassurance
• Looking after the home
• Assisting with personal care or food
• Keeping the person involved in family life

Community neighbours or local support groups may help in practical ways, especially where family is not nearby.

Key people also need opportunities to talk to others in similar situations. Support groups, online forums or local drop-in services can offer social contact and shared experience.

Helplines and Online Support

For some people, using a helpline gives comfort and private advice. Trained staff can guide people through difficult decisions and answer questions. Helplines run by charities or the NHS are usually confidential and free.

Examples include:

• NHS 111: Immediate medical advice for non-emergencies
• Marie Curie Support Line
• Macmillan Support Line
• Cruse Bereavement Helpline

Online resources such as forums and support groups allow contact day or night. This can be especially useful for carers who feel isolated.

Bereavement Services

Support does not stop after death. Bereavement services matter to families and close friends. These can include:

• One-to-one counselling
• Group therapy sessions
• Advice on legal or financial matters
• Guidance for children and young people facing loss

Hospices, the NHS, local authorities and many charities offer these services.

Bereavement support helps people make sense of their feelings, adjust to life after their loss and find practical ways forward.

Financial and Legal Support

Money and legal worries add strain at the end of life. Sources of support include:

• Citizens Advice: Guidance about benefits, wills and power of attorney
• Solicitors: Advice about legal documents (wills, advanced decisions, estate planning)
• Financial advisers: Planning for funeral costs or accessing pensions

Some organisations offer free telephone or face-to-face appointments. Families should be made aware of their options.

Key Points for Support at the End of Life

Support should be:

• Person-centred: Always focusing on what the individual wants or needs
• Flexible: Adjusted as needs change, sometimes very quickly
• Respectful: Keeping the person’s dignity uppermost
• Inclusive: Supporting both the individual and those close to them

Access to the right source of support improves comfort, boosts confidence and lessens fear.

Final Thoughts

Meeting the needs of people at the end of life requires more than caring for their body. Support should include emotional, practical and spiritual needs. Every person brings their own wishes, beliefs, and priorities. Sometimes, their loved ones might have questions, feel afraid, or be unsure about what to do next. Making space for those feelings and giving honest, clear information can make a huge difference.

You play an important part in linking individuals and key people with the right services and sources of support. Knowing what is available in your local area helps you respond quickly when needs change. Focusing on dignity, choice and kindness at every stage makes the end of life better for everyone involved. The most important skill is to listen openly and take time to offer comfort—this brings reassurance when it is needed most.