Supporting you at home

Most people with a life limiting illness want to stay living in their own homes and our community palliative care services are here to help you do that

Most of our care and support for people living with a life-limiting or terminal illness is provided to people living in their own homes. This includes care homes. At any one time we are supporting over 1,200 people living across south London.

As a specialist palliative care service, providing advice 24/7, we work closely alongside your GP, hospital team and other NHS services. We do not replace these services but we can offer advice and support to them to help them to support you. Sometimes we ask other healthcare professionals to visit you and provide care following our advice.

St Christopher’s provides specialist palliative care and support to people referred to us. This is provided by a variety of health care professionals including nurses. This care does not extend to hands on personal care. We can support you to help you access care that is funded if you are eligible. If you are not eligible we can signpost you to organisations who may be able to help you further.

Each time we do meet with you, we will want to understand what matters most to you at that time. In addition, our team will assess, with you, the physical and psychological burden of your illness and any symptoms you are experiencing, with the aim of trying to reduce these whenever possible.

We recognise that you and your family need to be able to call on us at any time of the day or night. Ring us on 020 8768 4500 to speak to a member of the team.

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Choose Home

Supporting those who wish to remain at home at end of life

Choose Home is a rapidly responding service, offered by St Christopher’s to support people to remain at home as they reach the end of their life where this is their wish.

We recognise that for people who live alone, or whose carers are exhausted, short spells of practical and emotional support are needed to achieve their wish of dying at home.

We’re able to offer some day time support from highly experienced carers in the last few days and hours of someone’s life or whilst fast track care packages or alternative placements are sought. 

This service is for people who are already under the care of St Christopher’s, who wish to remain in their own home where this is possible and have a prognosis of 2-3 weeks of life.