What Is Palliative Care? A Complete Guide to End-of-Life Support at Home

Supporting comfort, dignity, and quality of life at home.

When someone is living with a serious or life-limiting illness, comfort becomes just as important as treatment. That’s where palliative care comes in.

At Homelium, we provide compassionate, in-home palliative care that supports both the individual and their loved ones—focusing on pain relief, emotional wellbeing, and preserving dignity at every stage.

🌿 What Is Palliative Care?

Palliative care is specialised support for people living with serious or terminal illnesses, such as cancer, advanced dementia, heart failure, Parkinson’s, or respiratory conditions. The goal isn’t to cure the illness—but to ease symptoms, manage pain, and improve quality of life.

It also includes emotional, spiritual, and practical support for both the person and their family—because care is about more than just medicine.

Palliative care can be provided alongside treatment, or on its own, and can take place at home, in hospitals, hospices, or care settings.

🏠 Palliative Care at Home

At Homelium, we believe most people want to remain at home, surrounded by what’s familiar and comforting.

That’s why we offer in-home palliative care, allowing individuals to receive expert support in the place they feel safest. Whether full-time live-in care or visiting support, we work closely with families, GPs, and palliative nurses to ensure seamless, sensitive care.

✅ What Does Palliative Care Include?

Palliative care is personalised to the individual but may include:

• Pain and symptom management

• Personal care – bathing, dressing, toileting

• Medication support – including end-of-life medication

• Emotional and psychological support

• Overnight or live-in care for comfort and reassurance

• Support for family members and carers

• Spiritual or cultural care, if requested

  
  

Our carers are specially trained in end-of-life and palliative care, and work with gentleness, patience, and dignity.

🧡 When Should Palliative Care Start?

Palliative care is not just for the final days of life. It can begin months or even years before, alongside other treatments.

Starting earlier can:

• Ease physical discomfort sooner

• Provide emotional support for everyone involved

• Help plan for future wishes with less stress

At Homelium, we adapt to your journey—whether you need a few visits a week or 24-hour care.

📍 Local, Compassionate Support

Homelium provides palliative home care across:

• Hampshire

• Dorset

• Essex

• West Sussex

• Somerset

• Surrey

  
  

We’re proud to be named one of the Top 20 Home Care Groups in the UK on Homecare.co.uk—recognised for our person-centred, compassionate care.

💷 Costs and Funding

Palliative care at home may be funded by the NHS, especially in end-of-life stages, through services like Fast Track Continuing Healthcare. We can guide you through the process, or help create a private care plan tailored to your needs.

💬 What Families Say

“Homelium gave us more than just care—they gave us peace. Dad was able to stay at home, and we were able to be his family, not just his carers.”– Rachel, West Sussex

🤝 Let’s Talk About Palliative Care

Talking about palliative care can be difficult—but you don’t have to face it alone. Whether you're ready to set up support or just want to understand your options, we're here to listen.

📞 Call us today or visit www.homelium.com for a free, compassionate consultation.