Support at home

The Community Palliative Care Team aims to enhance the care already available in the community and not everyone needs to visit the hospice itself.

Many people prefer to stay at home or in their usual place of residence during their illness. If staying at home is your preference and your GP has referred you to the hospice, the palliative care team will talk through how this decision can be supported.

It’s important to note, however, that decision making can change and the team will always try to be flexible to accommodate any changes in this preference.

How the Community Palliative Care Team cares for you

The role of the Community Palliative Care Team (CPCT) is to provide specialist palliative care within your own home, which could mean a care home or nursing home. They concentrate on the quality of life of both patient and family. They give advice and information centred on controlling pain and other symptoms and meeting patients’ social, emotional and spiritual needs. The care for the family extends into bereavement.

While you are in the community, your GP will retain overall responsibility for your care. However, the Community Palliative Care Team works closely with them, as well as district nurses and carers, so that everyone involved in your care is kept up to date with your needs and any changes.

Occasionally, one of the hospice’s consultant doctors may visit you at home, by agreement with your GP, to give further support or advice on symptom management.

If you don’t need CPCT support anymore, you may be discharged from the community team. If this is appropriate, the team will agree this with you, and you can, of course, be re-referred by your GP at any time.

How do I get support from the Community Palliative Care Team?

Community palliative care support is based on an in-depth assessment following a referral from a patient’s GP. As part of this assessment we ask patients to complete a brief questionnaire, then explore concerns in more depth.

If you think you would benefit from community support, please talk to your GP.

The EPiC Resource Centre

We have created an information hub for all matters concerning end-of-life and palliative care, including topics to support you:

• if you have been diagnosed with an incurable illness
• if you’re caring for someone with an incurable illness
• if you’re wondering what financial support might be available for you

Find out more

We work in partnership with the Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (OUH). For more information about the Community Palliative Care Team, please go to the Community Palliative Care Team page on the OUH website.

Katharine House Hospice

• To find out more about the work we do, read What we do or explore our services.
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