When a loved one is diagnosed as terminally ill, you’ll understandably have plenty of questions about the future and care options. One of the most common questions families have is who pays for palliative care at home in the UK.
Unfortunately, this is just one of the practical matters you’ll have to think about, as well as financial and legal matters. Today, we’ll explore payment options for palliative care in the UK.
What Is Palliative Care?
Palliative care is a specialist type of support for people who have been diagnosed with a terminal illness. It includes end-of-life care, but it isn’t limited to the final weeks of life.
Palliative Care
This type of care is for people who have recently received a terminal diagnosis. Palliative care can be delivered at any time between the initial diagnosis and the end of life, for as long as it’s needed.
Palliative care can also be offered to support a terminally ill person’s loved ones, particularly with the emotional aspect of care. They can also offer advice on managing financial and legal affairs.
End of life care
End-of-life care is a more specialised form of palliative care for people considered to be in the last year of life.
Palliative care aims to minimise suffering, improve quality of life and care for a person’s physical, emotional, spiritual and practical needs.
This might include:
- Pain management
- Support with practical tasks, such as washing or eating
- Home adaptations for specialist equipment
- Therapy and counselling
- Support to write a will, appoint a Power of Attorney or other legal matters
Is Palliative Care at Home Free?
Palliative care can be funded by the NHS or charitable organisations in certain circumstances. Otherwise, you can fund it privately.
Getting Palliative Care for Free
Palliative care is sometimes offered to individuals for free, but you may find certain restrictions don’t work with you or your loved one’s lifestyle.
For example, you can get palliative care free:
- In an NHS hospital
- If you qualify for local authority funding or NHS continuing healthcare
- In a hospice, or if you receive hospice care at home
You may need to have a home assessment conducted by your loved one’s local authority to determine their care needs, which can be used to see if they qualify for NHS continuing care or other funding options.
The waitlists for these assessments are often long, and you may not get the answer you were hoping for. If this is the case, you’ll need another plan for paying for palliative care.
Do You Need to Pay for Palliative Care?
In most cases, you’ll need to pay for some or all of your loved one’s palliative care service.
You may have to pay for palliative care if:
- You require private palliative care from the comfort of home
- You need emergency home care and can’t wait for a home assessment from the local authority
The cost of palliative care at home depends on your loved one’s needs, such as whether they need specialist care or not, where you live in the UK, and the care provider you choose.
Funding Options for Individuals Who Need Palliative Care
There are several funding options available for people who need palliative care, covering all or part of the cost.
If you’d like to apply for any of the funding options below, speak to your loved one’s GP or treatment specialist.
NHS Continuing Healthcare (Fast Track Pathway)
Individuals who need palliative care may be eligible for fully-funded home care through the NHS’s Continuing Healthcare service.
Terminal illness is considered a ‘primary health need’ under the continuing healthcare eligibility criteria. It’s also possible that your application can be fast-tracked to ensure care is put in place as quickly as possible.
You’ll usually need an assessment to determine if you’re eligible for NHS continuing healthcare. This is a two-stage process conducted by a multidisciplinary team.
However, if you are accepted for the fast-track pathway, an ‘appropriate clinician’ can decide whether you’re eligible. This could be your loved one’s specialist or another medical professional involved in their treatment.
Personal Health Budgets (England)
If your loved one is eligible for NHS continuing healthcare under the Fast Track Pathway and resides in England, they can choose to receive the funding as a personal health budget.
This gives them (and you, as their primary support system) more say in the care they receive and how they choose to spend their funding. For example, they can use it for palliative care at home rather than services offered in a care home or hospice.
Hospital-Based Complex Clinical Care (Scotland)
If your loved one lives in Scotland and their care needs are complex enough that you need to be in a hospital or specialist unit, they may be eligible for hospital-based complex clinical care (HBCCC). This service is funded by the NHS.
Your loved one will need to be assessed to determine whether they can receive hospital-based care on an ongoing basis. Once HBCCC has begun, it will need to be reassessed every 3 months to determine whether it’s still required.
Disabled Facilities Grant
If your loved one requires home adaptations to accommodate their health needs, you can apply for the Disabled Facilities Grant to cover the cost of equipment and installation.
This service is offered in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Scotland has a similar service: called the Scheme of Assistance.
Occupational and physiotherapists can also arrange simple adaptations, such as ramps and handrails, without lots of paperwork. However, most funding options require a free home assessment from the local authority.
What to Know When Claiming End-of-Life Benefits
There are often special rules in place for individuals with a terminal diagnosis regarding benefits. If your loved one has been given less than a year to live, they can be fast-tracked when making a claim. It’s also more likely that they’ll receive the full amount.
Benefits in which these rules apply in the UK include:
- Universal Credit
- Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
- Attendance Allowance
- Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
- Disability Living Allowance
Your loved one might also be eligible for Adult Disability Payment, and you could claim Carer’s Allowance. It’s essential that you include information about your loved one’s terminal illness in every application you send, as this can help fast-track the process.
How Trinity Homecare Can Help
At Trinity Homecare, we understand how difficult it can be to find reliable, compassionate palliative care. We’ll work with you and your family to create a personalised care plan, tailored to your loved one and their budget.
Through our live-in and visiting care services, you can expect:
- One-to-one support at home
- Completely bespoke 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
Talk to Us Today
At Trinity Homecare, our ultimate goal is to enrich your lifestyle in the comfort and familiarity of your own home. This allows you to live the independent lifestyle that you love without the daunting thought of moving into a care home. We are here to support you with various forms of live-in care.
Call us now on 0207 183 4884 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.
