Caring for someone at home

About Marie Curie Nurses

Our Marie Curie Nurses can help people live to the very last moment at home, rather than go into hospital.

Marie Curie Nurses are always free of charge to patients and carers.

Your local District Nurse (or in a few cases another specialist nurse or your GP) coordinates nursing and other care at home. The District Nurse can tell you what care and services are appropriate for you and what is available in your area.

We provide both palliative care and respite care. Palliative care is where a person is very ill with a progressive incurable disease and the condition cannot be cured, so their comfort and quality of life take priority. Respite care can give a break to a person who is caring for someone at home who is ill.

• More about Marie Curie Nurses
• How to get a Marie Curie Nurse

If a Marie Curie Nurse has visited you or a family member or friend at home, and if you would be happy to tell us your story, please use the link at the bottom of the page to send us your story.

Back to the top

Publications for patients and carers

We also provide information booklets which aim to give you practical information and advice, particularly between visits from the District Nurse, Marie Curie Nurse and others. The booklets can also point you towards other organisations which may be able to provide further advice, information and practical assistance.

Please note: both of the booklets below include information about the last few weeks or days of life, and some people may find this information distressing.

Our Partners in Caring booklet

Our Partners In Caring booklet aims to give practical information and advice to people who are seriously ill and their carers who are caring for them at home. Although the information in this booklet has an emphasis on people with cancer, most of the information is relevant to patients with other life threatening conditions.

Chapters:

• What Marie Curie Cancer Care can do for you
• Who else can help you?
• Other available support
• Practical assistance: moving and handling
• Practical assistance: personal care
• Practical assistance: emotional support
• What to expect if you are very ill and approaching death
• Planning for the future
• Further information
• See the full online version of our Partners in Caring booklet
• Download the full Partners in Caring booklet (pdf 2.1MB, new window)
• Download the update to pages 43-44 of Partners in Caring (pdf, 34KB, new window)

Back to the top

Our End of Life - The Facts booklet

This booklet aims to provide information for people who would like to be looked after at home during the final stages of their life.

Chapters:

• Being looked after at home
• The last few weeks of life
• The last few days of life
• Nearing death
• Care after death
• National organisations that can help
• Credits and disclaimer
• See the full online version of our End of Life – The Facts booklet
• Download our End of Life – The Facts booklet (pdf 2.5MB, new window)

Back to the top

Advice if you are caring for someone at home

You are not alone - if you are a carer or thinking about becoming one for a loved one there will be times when you might need help or advice.

Click here for more information.

Making a complaint

This leaflet tells you what to do if you have a complaint about the treatment or service you have received from Marie Curie Cancer Care.

Download our complaints leaflet (pdf 391KB)