Bereaved carers are provided with social prescribing

Bereaved Carers are entitled to a carer assessment which can be done through local social services or an approved assessor. Carers who spend at last 35 hours a week caring for someone who needs ‘substantial and regular’ care may be able to claim carers allowance. Carers may experience anticipatory grief.
You are offered support, such as from Social Prescribing link workers, that may help with your grief process and loss.

For extra information, evidence and best practice please scroll down to the bottom of the page.

Regional offerings

End of Life Care in Greater Manchester for People With Dementia

A syllabus was agreed with input from health and care professionals and carers, using evidence based good practice literature. The syllabus is to ensure consistency across Greater Manchester but individual educators will deliver in a way suitable for their locality's way of working. This is supported by the Rules of Thumb guide and a leaflet to start the conversations about end of life 'Let's talk about death'.
Weblinks:
Rules of Thumb Guide: https://dementia-united.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2021/01/03-UCL-Rules-of-Thumb-Guide-v14.0_PRINT-version.pdf
Greater Manchester syllabus for training on end of life care of those with dementia: https://dementia-united.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2021/01/2021-01-25-GM-Syllabus-v1.0.pdf

Manchester Macmillan Supportive and Palliative Care Community Service

Palliative care is care given to people with chronic, often life-limiting illness. Our focus is on improving quality of life. We have a city wide service that provides seamless care. The service is delivered by MLCO staff in partnership with Macmillan Cancer Support.

Who is the service for?

Our service is usually for people whose illness means they are thought to be in the last year of life. However, we also provide care for people with longer life-limiting illness. We also provide support to families and carers. This is a really important part of supporting patients.

What does the service provide?

The service works from three hubs across Manchester so our teams work in their local neighbourhoods. The hubs are located in North, Central and South Manchester.

The teams provide support for adults facing life-limiting illness who are registered with a Manchester GP. The most common example is cancer, but our teams support patients with other conditions. We visit patients in their own home or care home. We also provide telephone support and advice when required.

The teams recognise that emotional, family, financial and spiritual concerns may be just as important to you as physical problems. We can:

Provide treatment and advice to help manage any symptoms
Offer practical advice and support to do the things that are important to you
Support families and carers
Signpost to other services including financial advice
Support you to make choices and plan for your future.

Website: https://www.manchesterlco.org/services/citywide-adult-community-services/manchester-macmillan-supportive-and-palliative-care-service/

Manchester Macmillan Supportive and Palliative Care Service Adult Referral Form: Macmillan Referral Form July final version

National offerings

Advance Care Planning

Advance care planning for people with dementia guidance from NHS England
Weblink: https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/my-future-wishes-advance-care-planning-for-people-with-dementia.pdf

Dementia UK

Dementia UK is a national charity, committed to improving quality of life for all people affected by dementia. They provide Admiral Nurses, who work with family members and carers in all care settings along with a helpline for family members or carers who would welcome accessing advice and support.
Telephone: 0800 88 6678
Email: direct@dementiauk.org
Weblink: https://www.dementiauk.org/

Evidence

Research paper, How People Who Are Dying or Mourning Engage with the Arts: "This article first reviews how established artists have used death/loss themes in their work, along with the work of arts practitioners in palliative and bereavement care and the role of the arts in death education."

University of Brighton, Art and grief: "Research at the University of Brighton's Centre for Arts and Wellbeing brings practice-led and auto-ethnographic methods to the difficult sets of questions surrounding grief, loss and bereavement."

World Health Organisation: "Studies have also shown that arts and music activities for families following bereavement can help with loss and support coping, support the maintenance of stable mental health "

Best Practice Resources

The Art Of Grieving Exhibitions, Providing arts-based forums to encourage openness and conversation about bereavement, loss and death: - https://www.artofgrieving.org.uk/about