The Government’s first national survey of end of life care experiences revealed that only half of the sons, daughters, partners, siblings, parents and friends caring for a dying person receive the help they need

Holiday Inn Regents Park, London, W1W 5EE, United Kingdom

Overview

Why this conference?

The Government’s first national survey of end of life care experiences revealed that only half of the sons, daughters, partners, siblings, parents and friends caring for a dying person receive the help they need. The needs of unpaid carers are too often overlooked or left unmet by ‘the system’. This can have a devastating impact on people’s experience of caring and bereavement. It also makes it difficult, if not impossible, to achieve the Government’s ambition of allowing more people to be cared for and die in their preferred place, which is usually at home. A home death can put enormous pressure on carers on a 24/7 basis.

This national conference, organised by leading charities, explores the needs of carers of people approaching the end of life and some of the particular issues, concerns and dilemmas that accompany this stage of caring. It will look at how the national End of Life Care Strategy (DH, 2008) and Carers Strategy (2008) can be brought together and, by showcasing good practice examples, how they can be translated into a reality on the ground.