Response to updated NHS England Guidance on community end of life care
Comment published
Marie Curie responds to updated NHS Guidance on management of adults and children in the community in England during the COVID-19 crisis.
Dr Adrian Tookman, Marie Curie Clinical Director said:
“Caring for people in the last stages of their lives is rewarding, but not easy. It is emotionally and physically demanding. Many families already support their dying loved ones at home but do so in the comfort that they can turn to the experts, in their hour of need.
“Taking appropriate precautions and having the right PPE, means that those working together on the frontline in the community, like Marie Curie Nurses, can continue to support people dying both with and without Covid-19, and their loved ones in their own homes.
“In these extraordinary times, patients and family members who are willing and able to take on more caring tasks, like giving pain medication may choose to do so. However, this must be properly assessed for each patient and family individually, with appropriate training and support to allow this to happen safely. But it must be their choice and should not be imposed due to lack of resources. They should also get the support they need to plan ahead, have ongoing support and monitoring from a healthcare professional, and crucially know who to contact for help.
“There is no substitute for expert hands on care, even in these daunting times. Families shouldn’t feel abandoned and ill-equipped to deal with the complications that happen at the end of life.
“We can’t cast patients and their family carers adrift in this time of heightened anxiety. We know that families who feel unsupported can be burdened with a lasting legacy of grief.”