What is palliative care and how much does it cost?

Palliative care is designed to improve your quality of life and comfort while dealing with life-limiting conditions. It can help with personal care, cooking and medication management while promoting independence for as long as possible.

While palliative care is well-known for its physical and emotional support of people who need it most, trying to find accurate information on its costs can be tricky. Today, we’ll explore what palliative care is and how much it may cost depending on the support you need. We’ll also offer advice on how to get help with funding.

What is palliative care?

Palliative care is a type of support for anyone living with a complex condition or terminal illness that stops them from completing activities of daily living by themselves. Rather than focusing on finding a cure for your condition, palliative care aims to provide relief from symptoms and stress surrounding your illness.

Palliative care can be offered by a specialised team of doctors, nurses, social workers, carers and other healthcare professionals. These specialists work together to provide extra support in any way you may need, focusing on you rather than your prognosis.

This type of care is often considered interchangeable with end-of-life care, but this isn’t always the case. You can choose to have palliative care at any stage of your illness, and you can benefit from it alongside other curative or management treatments.

The cost of live-in palliative care

Live-in home care includes a professionally trained carer living with you in your own home, offering full-time support whenever you need it. The costs of live-in care depend on several factors, such as the services you require, how much comprehensive care you need and how long your palliative care will last.

Many people who need palliative care for advanced illnesses benefit from live-in support, as it provides round-the-clock care, including personal care, medication management, light housekeeping, cooking and companionship. Generally, live-in care costs between £1,000 and £1,800 a week.

At Trinity Homecare, we use a Matchcare Program to carefully select the ideal carer for you, depending on your personality and lifestyle. This will hopefully help you develop a personal bond. We’ll work with your budget to find you the best live-in palliative care possible.

What about visiting palliative care?

The price of visiting home care depends on how many visits you need each week, along with how long they’ll be. Someone who needs one or two visits a day, seven days a week, will require a higher budget than someone who needs a couple of quick visits a week. On average, visiting care costs between £30 and £80 per visit, and extra charges may be required for call-out fees.

Visiting care costs less than live-in care, so it’s often better for more modest budgets. Palliative care can be offered by a visiting carer, but the support you receive may not be as comprehensive. It’s best for people whose symptoms are still well-managed and who can get around the house without help to cook and reach the bathroom.

At Trinity Homecare, we pride ourselves on working to meet our clients’ every need, which includes their budget. We’ll take your budget and give you several options as to how we can stretch that to fit your needs. For example, we may be able to offer you a short visit in the morning or afternoon, as well as a longer visit during off-peak times throughout the day. This gives you more time with your carer without the requirement of a higher budget.

The cost of palliative care in a care home

Many residential and nursing homes offer palliative care services, but these will require you to move out of your house and into new, unfamiliar surroundings. Staff within the care home will be able to offer round-the-clock care, manage pain symptoms, support you with daily tasks and keep you comfortable.

Care homes generally cost between £700 and £2,000 a week, although this can change depending on the complexity of your illness and care requirements.

The cost of care homes is often more expensive than home care, especially when you don’t need as much comprehensive care between mealtimes and through the night. The extra cost often stems from the requirement of accommodation, where you’re essentially renting a room on top of paying for 24/7 care. With home care, you don’t need to worry about paying for another living space.

Can I get palliative care for free?

It’s possible to get palliative care for free in the form of hospice care, although not everyone is eligible. This type of care is offered in a hospice or hospital setting, which can be distressing for some people.

Hospice isn’t always suitable for long-term care. It may be a better option for people who only need short periods of inpatient care or nursing before going home, or those who require end-of-life care.

Some hospices offer outpatient palliative care, including psychological support and occupational therapy. To learn more about free hospice care and whether you’re eligible, speak to your GP. Trinity also offers hospice care at home, and we’d be more than happy to talk you through your options.

Palliative care with Trinity Homecare

Trinity Homecare prides itself on always putting its clients and their families first. We’ll work with you to find the best comprehensive care to cover your needs, no matter what your budget is. We’ll assess your requirements, symptoms and support system to make sure you’re only paying for the support you need, stretching your budget as much as possible to keep stress levels down and confidence up.

No matter the price of your plan, the quality of care we provide won’t change. This includes:

• One-to-one support at home
• Completely bespoke live-in care that has been tailored to you
• Specialist care for a number of different circumstances
• Home carers carefully matched to your needs
• CQC rated ‘Outstanding’ live-in care services

Our pricing plans are all personalised to your individual needs and requirements, so speak to one of our friendly advisors today to receive a personalised quote. Palliative care with Trinity focuses on upholding independence and dignity for as long as possible, keeping you in control as you navigate this new season of life.

How to pay for palliative care

The cost of care and how you’re going to pay for it isn’t something you should be worrying about. In some instances, you may be able to receive continuing healthcare funding to help cover the cost of palliative care. The NHS provides funding for many through their continuing healthcare system.

Unfortunately, there’s no guarantee that you’ll get help – even if you have a terminal illness or life-limiting condition. A multidisciplinary team will assess the severity of your illness and medical care needs to determine how your health impacts your daily life and whether you need support from a professional.

NHS Funding

The NHS can cover all of your care costs if you’re eligible for their healthcare funding. However, this is notoriously difficult to obtain as there are lots of hoops to jump through. To get the ball rolling, speak to your GP and ask for an NHS Continuing Healthcare Checklist. This is a quick screening test to see whether you’re suitable for a full assessment or not.

The NHS funding process can be fast-tracked for exceptional circumstances, such as palliative end-of-life care.

Getting help via the council

If you need help to pay for your care, turning to the local council for authority funding is often your first choice. They’ll begin a care needs assessment for you, which determines exactly what care you need and why. They’ll then recommend various options available, so you can get the support you need as soon as possible.

The Care Act 2014 states that everyone has a right to a care needs assessment, so don’t be put off by the recommendation of completing a financial assessment first. No matter how much money you have, you are eligible for help and advice from the council.

Getting a financial assessment

The financial assessment is what the council will use to determine whether you’re required to pay for your own care or not. Once you’ve worked out what support you require through the care needs assessment, the financial assessment lays out the plans for your next steps.

If you’re eligible, your council will help cover the costs of your care needs. It’s important to note that you might need to follow their recommendations for care agencies and settings to qualify for their funding, but you’ll be able to get all the information about this through them.

Knowing which benefits you’re entitled to

A simple way to reduce the cost of care is to look into your entitlements and make sure you’re claiming them. Key benefits for people over the age of 65 are:

• Attendance Allowance
• Pension Credit
• Carer’s Allowance
• Personal Independence Payment
• Council Tax Rate Relief

While they may not seem like much on their own, claiming all the benefits you’re owed can really add up and make the cost of care much less daunting.

Funding care with savings and assets

If you’re unable to get your palliative care funded by the NHS or your local authority, you can liquidate your assets to help self-fund your care. There are plenty of ways to release equity from your home to cover costs, allowing you to remain in your home while still using its value.

At Trinity Homecare, we’ll work with you to make sure you get the care you need, no matter what your budget or circumstances. We know that arranging care options is stressful, so we aim to reduce the financial burden by giving you a list of options you’re eligible for.

Talk to us today

If your loved one requires home care, chat with one of our friendly care team today. We offer a free, no-obligation enquiry and assessment service and are happy to offer information and advice to help you find the perfect home care solution.

Call us on 020 4572 5583 in confidence for a free no obligation quotation. If enquiring outside of our opening hours, please complete our online form and we will contact you the next day.