Committed to carers: supporting carers of people at the end of life

Marie Curie campaigns to ensure that more people are able to be cared for and die at home. Previous research has shown that 63% of people would choose to die at home if they were terminally ill, however the reality in the UK is that just 21% of people die at home, while the majority (53%) die in hospital. This report describes the direct experiences of carers looking after someone at the end of life. It is based on interviews with 40 carers who were currently caring for a sick friend or relative or had been bereaved. The research was designed to explore how people experience caring for someone with a terminal illness in the context of their family, work and social lives. Some of the patients used hospice or hospital in-patient care, others remained at home. The separate chapters consider: the impact of caring for someone at the end of life; access to information and support; the place of care and place of death; and bereavement. It concludes with recommendations designed to ensure that more carers of someone at the end of life receive the support they need to keep caring.