The Homeless Palliative Care Toolkit has been developed to support professionals working with people who are homeless or vulnerably housed and living with advanced ill health. Individuals in this group face significantly poorer health outcomes and typically die around 30 years earlier than the general population. Their deaths are often sudden, unplanned, and lacking dignity, placing a considerable emotional and practical burden on staff in hostels and day centres who are frequently left to care for people with complex needs in unsuitable environments.
This toolkit, adapted from an original resource by St Mungo’s and Marie Curie, draws on extensive collaborative research to offer practical tools, worksheets, and guidance for planning person-centred, multi-agency care. It emphasises early intervention, encouraging staff to act on concerns about a client’s declining health rather than waiting for a formal palliative diagnosis. The aim is to improve end-of-life care by enabling earlier recognition, better coordination, and more compassionate support for individuals and the staff who care for them.
