Hospice at Home provides care and support to patients with a high level of need for the last days of life to enable them to stay in their home. The service is provided by a combination of senior healthcare assistants and registered nurses. Care is delivered in visits offered between 08:00 and 20:00 with limited night cover available. Care is planned on a needs-led basis.

Referral criteria

• Actively deteriorating and have been assessed by a healthcare professional to be in the last two to four weeks of life
• preferred place of death is ‘home’(advice and support will be provided to patients and staff in all care homes, but practical support will only be offered to Care Homes without Nursing unless exceptional circumstances)

Prioritisation of care will be to patients with:

• Rapid deterioration
• Unstable symptoms or complex symptoms that need high intensity of care
• Limited or no package of care
• High level of family support needed

Referrals should be made on 0117 915 9508, 09:00 – 17:00, seven days a week.

Patients will be discharged if care is no longer needed.

If a patient requires care for longer than 4 weeks, an onward referral will be made to continuing health care or social services home care where appropriate.