Case study:

11 May 2010

Macmillan Palliative Care Service in East Cheshire Crossroads

Key points

East Cheshire Crossroads Macmillan Palliative Care Service helps carers to ensure that a relative with a terminal illness remains in their own home if that is their preferred place of death.

The team of 10 trained support workers supports carers of people who have advanced palliative care needs, whether they are already at home or awaiting hospital or hospice discharge.

The staff are trained to provide practical and emotional support to the family and be as supportive, flexible and unobtrusive as possible.

The service, which is available from 9am to 4.30pm every weekday, can be activated whenever a healthcare professional identifies a need for extra care or support to the family.

The palliative care lead will then phone the family, ideally the same day, to arrange a suitable time for an assessment visit, which can take place at the hospital or hospice.

During a care visit Crossroads staff can provide personal care, ‘double-ups’ with the district nurse, respite for the carer or do practical tasks such as light domestic duties or shopping.

Funding is provided by the PCT through a service level agreement. Macmillan provides additional funding.

The service aims, wherever possible, to respond to referrals on the same day or at least within 36 hours.

It also seeks to begin its support as soon as possible after the initial assessment.

It is hoped in to extend this support to children and people with dementia with palliative care needs and their carers.

There are also plans to increase staffing levels particularly in relation to overnight respite breaks and weekend work.

Other plans include setting up a support group for recently bereaved carers who would like to form a social network and offer support to people undergoing treatment.

Feedback from service users indicates the service is popular and that uptake is increasing.

It recently received an excellent report by the Commission for Social Care Inspection and has also achieved CROQUET Level 3 – Crossroads Quality Evaluation Tool.