End of life care is support for people who are thought to be in the last year of life. This can be difficult to predict – some people may need end of life care for several months, while others may need it only for a few hours or days.
No matter where someone is being cared for, they deserve compassionate, high-quality care that focuses on what matters most to them.
Advance care planning
It’s important to talk about wishes and preferences for care, even before the final days. This is called advance care planning. Doctors and nurses will speak with you and those close to you, so care can be tailored to your values and choices.
A ReSPECT form helps record important decisions in one place, such as:
- Your preferred place of care
- Whether you wish to receive certain treatments
- Who should be involved in decisions about your care
Search for the ‘ReSPECT form’ and advance care planning documents within our patient information resources.
In hospital
At University Hospital’s of Leicester, end of life care is provided by the ward team – doctors, nurses, and healthcare staff who know you best. If you have more complex needs, you may also be seen by our Specialist Palliative Care Team, who offer expert support.
See the palliative care services page for more information.
SWAN model of care
We use the SWAN model to guide end of life care in our hospitals. SWAN stands for:
- Signs: helping staff recognise when someone is nearing the end of life
- Words: encouraging honest, compassionate conversations
- Actions: focusing on what matters most to you
- Needs: supporting practical, emotional, spiritual, and cultural needs
We work with patients and families to create a personalised SWAN plan of care, helping to ensure that wishes are understood, comfort is prioritised, and support is in place. Search for the ‘SWAN model’ in patient information resources for more information.
Useful links
- Care and support in the last days of life
- Comfort feeding in the last days of life
- Protecting pressure areas in the last days of life
- Tissue Donation
- Corneal donation
- Hospital Chaplaincy team
- Home support for last days of life – RAPID discharge from hospital.
- Helpful information after a death
- T34 McKinley syringe drivers
- Anticipatory medication – Keeping injectable medications at home in case you can’t swallow.
- Dying Matters – in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland (LLR) is dedicated to improving end of life experiences for people living in either county, their families and loved ones.