End of Life Are you looking after a loved one who is nearing the end of life? What end of life care involves. When someone is diagnoses as having a terminal illness it can prompt very difficult conversations. Dying matters has produced a wealth on information on how to have these conversations and topics that are important to discuss. There are various other charities who have produced specific diagnosis literature and you can find these and other important documents in our factsheet which you can download here. Occasionally we run nearing end of life workshops. If this is something you think would be useful for you in your caring role please contact us on 0300 012 4272 and let a pathway advisor know you would be interested in attending. Being with someone when they die. Being with someone that you care for when they die can be a difficult experience. There are things to consider that may help you to deal with the experience as well as the physical changes that take place. If you would like more information on some of the expectancies around the end of life and what to expect you can find our factsheet here. If someone you care for has died. There are no rights or wrongs with emotions when someone you have cared for dies. You may experience intense loss or grief immediately, you may feel numb or even relief. You may also feel a sense of loss to the people and other health providers that have helped you care for that person. All of this is completely normal and we all have to grieve in our own way. Being a carer can be very demanding and you may have lost contact with friends and family due to your caring role. It may help to re-connect with those people or if you are not ready to do that there are many support services (such as www.cruse.org.uk) you can contact who will help you through the bereavement process. Please remember that there a lot of people and services who can support you at this time and you are not alone. You can also continue to get carers allowance for up to 8 weeks after someone has passed away which might help to ease financial concerns. For our FACTSHEET about practical steps to take after some one has died click here Would you like information, advice and emotional support? Our friendly and experienced advisers can help with the practical and emotional support that you need during this difficult time. We can provide you with information about a wide range of helpful organisations and refer you if that is what you wish. We also have an End if Life specialist that we can refer you to if we feel that you would benefit from an increased level of support. Our Listening Ear service can offer you telephone support so that you never feel you are alone. Call our Helpline to refer yourself 0300 012 4272 Monday to Friday 9am to 7pm and Saturday 9am to 12 noon Links to useful websites : https://www.strichards.org.uk/ http://www.primrosehospice.org/ http://www.kemphospice.org.uk/ https://www.macmillan.org.uk/ https://www.mariecurie.org.uk/ http://www.dyingmatters.org/ http://www.ncpc.org.uk https://www.cruse.org.uk/ http://www.samaritans.org/ Bereaved young (carers) people: Hope Again *Hope Again is Cruse Bereavement Care's website for young people. Carers’ Stories… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vYzDLk2uQs8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k48Js0JZNsw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_qIR7mLoEg