There are four main forms of palliative care: care at home, hospice care, hospital palliative care, and care home palliative care. Palliative care can be provided in various settings, including at home, in a care home, in a hospice, or in a hospital, depending on the patient's needs and preferences. Specialist palliative care teams can provide support across all of these settings. Palliative care can start at any stage of a patient's illness, even at the time of diagnosis.
Understanding the different types of palliative care available in the UK is one of the most important steps you can take right now. It helps you plan ahead, ask the right questions, and find the right support for your loved one and your whole family. For families who prefer their loved one to remain in familiar surroundings, Tiggo Care can provide support at home through person-centred palliative care, helping with daily routines and practical support. This blog walks you through every form of palliative care, how each one works, and how to choose the right option for your situation.
Palliative care aims to improve a patient's comfort and quality of life during their illness. It is not only for the final days of life. It can begin much earlier, sometimes as soon as your loved one receives a diagnosis.
A holistic approach to palliative care involves managing pain and symptoms while providing emotional support. This means it looks after the whole person, not just their illness. Physical comfort, mental well-being, social connections, and spiritual care all matter equally.
Palliative care involves psychological, social, and spiritual support for patients and their families. So if you are a family member supporting someone through a life-limiting illness, palliative care is there for you too, not just your loved one. Palliative care helps patients by offering comfort, dignity, and support throughout every stage of their journey.
If you are wondering how many forms of palliative care are there, the answer is four main types of palliative care available, including care at home, in a care home, in a hospice, or in a hospital. The right form depends on your loved one's needs, preferences, and the level of support available at home. The sections below explain each form in plain terms so you can make the right choice for your loved one:
Palliative care at home allows your loved one to receive care in a familiar environment, promoting comfort and independence.
For most people facing a terminal illness, home is where they feel safest and most at ease. Staying in your own home means your loved one can keep their daily routines, sleep in their own bed, and spend time with the people who matter most to them.
At home, different healthcare professionals work together to deliver support. Your loved one's GP holds overall responsibility for their medical care. Community nurses carry out home visits for clinical needs such as symptom relief and pain relief. A care plan is put in place to coordinate everyone involved.
A home care assistant from Tiggo Care provides compassionate support alongside this medical care. This includes:
Our team of palliative home care assistants is available to support your loved one in the place they feel most comfortable, their own home. When faced with a terminal illness, we understand that most people would prefer to remain at home. Our team works closely with community palliative care teams, local hospices, family and friends to make that possible.
Palliative care can be arranged quickly, sometimes within 24 hours after the care plan is confirmed. So even if your situation has changed suddenly, help is closer than you may think.
Hospice care is designed for people with terminal illnesses and provides specialised support to ensure comfort during the end of life.
A hospice is a specialist environment dedicated entirely to palliative and end-of-life care. Hospice staff are trained to manage complex symptoms, deliver pain relief, and provide emotional and spiritual care for both patients and families.
There are two main ways to receive hospice care:
Referrals to a hospice usually come through your GP or a specialist palliative care team. It is worth discussing this option early so that a place can be arranged when the time is right.
Palliative care in hospitals is often short-term and focuses on managing symptoms until a discharge plan is in place.
If your loved one is in hospital following a new diagnosis or a sudden change in their condition, the hospital palliative care team will work to stabilise their symptoms and ensure they are comfortable. They will also speak with your family about next steps and help arrange the most appropriate form of ongoing care.
Different healthcare professionals, including GPs, community nurses, and hospice staff, may be involved in providing palliative care. In a hospital setting, your loved one may be seen by specialist palliative consultants, nurses, and therapists depending on their needs.
The goal of hospital palliative care is usually to support a safe transition to a more permanent setting, whether that is home, a hospice, or a care home.
Care homes may provide palliative care if they have the appropriate staff trained to deliver this type of care.
For people who already live in a care home or nursing home, receiving palliative care in the same setting can feel much more comfortable than moving to a hospital ward. It avoids disruption and allows your loved one to stay in a familiar place with carers they already know.
Not all care homes have specially trained staff for palliative support, so it is important to ask about this before making any decisions. A nursing home will typically offer a higher level of clinical support than a standard residential care home.
Understanding the types of palliative care also means looking at the kind of support provided, not just where it takes place.
Palliative care provides psychological, social and spiritual support for patients and their families. Here is what that looks like in practice:
A holistic approach to palliative care ensures that care is tailored to the individual needs of the patient, considering their physical, emotional and spiritual well-being.
End-of-life care is a specific form of palliative care for people who are in the final weeks or months of their life.
Palliative care can begin long before this stage. It is available from the point of diagnosis and can continue alongside active treatment. End-of-life care begins when a GP or specialist team determines that someone is approaching the final stage of their illness.
People who are approaching the end of their lives are entitled to high-quality care, wherever they're being cared for. Your loved one has the right to receive end-of-life care in the setting of their choice, and their wishes must be respected at all times.
You have the right to express your wishes about where you would like to receive palliative care and where you want to die. Having this conversation early, while your loved one is still able to share their preferences, makes making decisions much easier for everyone involved.
Living with serious illnesses takes a toll on mental and emotional well-being, and not just for the person receiving care. The stress of a serious illness can bring overwhelming emotions, including anxiety and depression, for family members too.
Communication between patients and their families can help ease emotional burdens. Talking openly about wishes, fears, and preferences can bring a real sense of calm when everything else feels uncertain.
If you are caring for a loved one at home, it is important to recognise that you need support too. Palliative care teams provide comprehensive emotional support tailored to each resident's and their family's needs. Asking for help is not a sign of failure. It is one of the most important things you can do.
Emotional support helps individuals and families process the impact of a life-limiting condition. Whether through a professional counsellor, a hospice support worker, or a trusted home care assistant, no family should go through this alone.
When a loved one has a life-limiting illness, the whole family is affected. Here are some practical ways to offer support and protect your own well-being at the same time:
Palliative care provides peace of mind for both patients and their loved ones. Knowing your loved one is receiving the right support allows you to be more present with them, rather than exhausted by worry.
Arranging palliative care can be a straightforward process if you have the right support and information.
Follow these steps to get started:
Not sure which option is right? Use this simple checklist to guide your thinking:
The most important thing is to start the conversation with your GP as early as possible. This gives everyone time to plan ahead and ensures your loved one's wishes remain at the centre of every decision.
At Tiggo Care, we provide personalised care and compassionate support at home for people living with a life-limiting illness or terminal illness in London and the surrounding areas. We work alongside GPs, community nurses, and specialist palliative care teams to provide day-to-day support that helps your loved one live as comfortably as possible.
Our care professionals can help with:
We take a holistic approach and tailor every care plan to the needs and wishes of your loved one. We work alongside the medical care provided by healthcare professionals — never replacing it — so your loved one has support where it is needed most.
Families who choose home support from Tiggo Care tell us that knowing someone is there makes all the difference. Here is what one of our service users recently shared:
"Tiggo Care Company is very professional and caring to both its workers and service users. Communication is on a very high level, principles and procedures are well laid out and easy for everyone to understand. Very friendly and helpful atmosphere all around the company from Senior Management to all staffing levels. Would greatly recommend 100%." — Blessing Tracy Sunday
Tiggo Care is regulated by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), meaning our services are regularly inspected to ensure they are safe, effective, caring, responsive, and well-led. We are also a proud member of the Homecare Association, which promotes high standards and good practice in home care across the UK.
Understanding how many forms of palliative care there are, and what each one involves, puts you in the best position to make the right choice for your loved one. Whether care takes place at home, in a hospice, in a hospital, or in a care home, what matters most is that it is built around your loved one's wishes, delivered with dignity, and supported by the right team.
If you would like to talk through how Tiggo Care can support your loved one at home, our friendly team is here to help. Contact us today to organise care visits and build a personalised care plan around the life your loved one deserves.
There are four main forms of palliative care in the UK: care at home, hospice care, hospital palliative care, and care home palliative care. Specialist palliative care teams can also support across all of these settings, depending on the patient's needs and wishes.
Palliative care can begin from the point of diagnosis and focuses on comfort and quality of life. End-of-life care is a specific form of palliative care for the final weeks or months of life. Your GP or specialist team can advise on when this transition is appropriate for your loved one.
Yes. Many people receive palliative care at home, supported by community nurses, GPs, and home care assistants. Care at home allows your loved one to stay in familiar surroundings and spend more time with family, while still receiving the support they need.
Your GP is usually the first point of contact. They can refer your loved one to a specialist palliative care team and help you understand what local services are available, including NHS-funded options such as Fast Track care.
No. Palliative care supports people with a wide range of life-limiting conditions, including dementia, heart failure, motor neurone disease, and chronic lung conditions. It focuses on comfort and quality of life regardless of the diagnosis.
Yes. Palliative care takes a holistic approach, which means it supports the whole person, not just physical symptoms. Emotional support, psychological care, social support, and spiritual care are all part of palliative care, for both the person receiving care and their family.
Get in touch with Tiggo Care today to see how we can help you or your loved one.
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