#70 Dying at home, what you need to know and how to be prepared - What equipment might be needed to help look after a person who is dying at home

This is the third in a series of seven podcasts about End of Life Care, specifically towards the last days of life and when someone wishes to die at home. Rachel kindly agreed to make these with me and recreate some of the conversations I have had over so many years about dying at home, what you need to know and how to be prepared.

In this episode we talk about what equipment might be needed to help look after a person who is dying at home.

Dying at home, what you need to know and how to be prepared

1. Recognising when someone might be approaching the last stages of life and why this matter

2. What support is available to help look after a person who is dying at home

3. What equipment might be needed to help look after a person who is dying at home

4. Symptom control and medication as someone approaches the end of life at home

5. What changes are there as someone approaches the end of life?

6. What we need to do after a person has died at home

7. Changing plans, anticipatory grief and being prepared

Key messages from guest

• Sorting out practical things enables space for the emotional care

• Formal equipment to be obtained from local services

• A Hospital bed can be provided by the District Nursing team or Palliative Care Team

• Think about a bed

• Pressure relieving equipment for bed and chair

• Glide sheets

• Commode

• Urinal and bedpan

• Shower chair

• Syringe Pump (explored in detail in episode)

• Informal equipment to have prepared

• Bedding

• Towels

• Gloves

• Laundry wash

• Mouth care

• Call bell

• Hand cream and lip balm

• Key messages

• Consider the formal equipment that will be needed and liaise with your local community nursing or hospice teams

• Consider what local agencies are available to help

• Be prepared and be prepared it may take some time to get this equipment in place

• Be aware of additional time it will take to access equipment during weekends or bank holidays

• Be aware equipment needs can change rapidly

Resource

• See an example of a  360 degree toothbrush 

• See an example of glide sheets

Bio:

Rachel Lankester, founder of Magnificent Midlife

Rachel Lankester is the founder of Magnificent Midlife, an online hub celebrating and empowering women 40+. She's the author of Magnificent Midlife: Transform Your Middle Years, Menopause and Beyond and host of the Magnificent Midlife podcast. After a shocking early menopause diagnosis at 41, she scratched her own itch and created what she wasn't able to find to help herself. This includes 1-1 and group mentoring, courses and educational resources to help women vibrantly transition through the sometimes messy middle of life. She's also the founder of MenoClarity, an online information hub about menopause.

Clare Fuller, Advance Care Planning Advocate, Educator & Coach

Clare is a Registered Nurse with 30 years’ experience in End-of-Life Care (EoLC). Clare is an advocate for Advance Care Planning and founded www.speakforme.co.uk to help organisations to improve EoLC, provide professional education and raise public awareness about Advance Care Planning. Clare campaigns for proactive Advance Care Planning, hosts the podcast Conversations about Advance Care Planning  and is a Lasting Power of Attorney Consultant.