Palliative care can bring comfort, independence and security to those who are living with an incurable illness or complex medical condition.

End-of-life care can help those with a terminal diagnosis approach death with dignity and comfort.

Research suggests that more people would prefer to die at home, but currently only about 25% of people do so. End of life care makes it possible for people to pass away in a familiar, comforting place, surrounded by the people they love. An end-of-life carer can help someone with the following needs:

• Wishes and desires for end of life
• Religious or spiritual needs for end of life
• Maintaining relationships with family and friends
• Supporting family and friends with grief
• Companionship and reducing isolation
• Helping to maintain interests and hobbies when possible

Here are some of the other tasks a palliative carer can help with:

• Keeping you as comfortable, clean and as pain free as possible
• Keeping you as mobile as possible
• Assisting with treatments or therapy
• Prompting to take prescribed medication
• Helping to maintain nutrition and cooking meals
• Assisting at medical appointments
• Helping with personal care, such as, washing, dressing, eating
• Preventing falls and accidents
• Helping with incontinence and bathroom assistance
• Food shopping and travelling outside of the home

Carers are self-employed and set their own rates on our platform. The cost of care is often determined by the level of care required. Their rates vary according to the carer’s location, experience and qualifications.

The average hourly care rate charged by carers on Curam is £16 per hour, with rates starting at £13 an hour. Sleeping night care is usually charged at a fixed rate, with rates starting at £80 per night. The average live-in care rate charged on Curam is £880 per week, with rates starting at £750 a week. Carer rates include our fee of 12.5% + VAT.

End-of-life care is an umbrella term that includes palliative care. If you have an illness that cannot be cured, palliative care makes you as comfortable as possible, by managing your pain and other distressing symptoms.

You pay for palliative care though a secure payment system on our app or website. Your carer of choice will create a service agreement and shift invoice which will automatically be sent to your Curam account for your approval. Once you have approved these, you will be taken to the payment portal. Your payment is held securely until the shift is completed and is then released to the carer 2 working days after the end of the shift minus our fee.

Off-platform and cash payments are not accepted and are liable to a placement fee of £2000. Please see our terms and conditions for more information, specifically point 9.3. 

To arrange respite care on the Curam platform, you can filter by care type, condition experience, languages spoken and more in your search for a carer. If you see a particular carer that fits your criteria, send them a message asking their availability and outlining your care needs.

Alternatively, you can tell us your care requirements and carers that fit those needs will apply to your Curam account. We recommend that you call or meet your carer of choice before contracting with them. Click here for some advice on interviewing a carer.