Homeless Palliative Care Service
We support clients, keyworkers and health and social care staff when someone’s health is getting worse. This can be from Liver Disease, COPD, cancer or a combination of issues.
People experiencing homelessness suffer from poor health disproportionately. They experience many barriers to health care, often dying 30 years younger than people who are housed. These deaths are often unplanned, with care being crisis-led and access to palliative care is very unusual.
We want to reach people earlier on in their illness and improve the quality of care for those with advanced ill health.
Supporting individuals
Our service can help individuals experiencing homelessness in lots of ways:
- Information giving to make informed decisions
- Case management, advocacy and social support
- Reconnecting with loved ones
- Free use of iPads to to promote engagement with health services
- Specialist end of life care
Support for staff and teams
We support anyone who works with someone experiencing homelessness who has advanced ill health.
We can also provide training tailored to the needs of each team, which could include:
- How to identify clients of concern
- Palliative and end of life care and how it can help
- Care planning in temporary accommodation
- Bereavement support, self-care and resilience
Making a referral
If you’re concerned about someone whose health is getting worse, that’s enough reason to make a referral. Download and fill in the referral form on our referrals page and email the completed form to nehgm.admissions-hg@nhs.net
If you have any questions or would like to discuss training, please get in touch with:
Heidi McIntyre, Homeless Palliative Care Coordinator
Email: H.mcintyre@nhs.net
Phone: 07725957224
Useful resources
Make a referral
If you’re concerned about someone whose health is getting worse, that’s enough reason to make a referral.
Download and send back the referral form on this page.
Make a referral