We urge the UK Government to fund End of Life (EOL) 1-1 companionship in care homes, ensuring no resident has to spend their final moments alone.

In the final hours of life, the presence of another person offers comfort, dignity, and peace. Sadly, this cannot always be guaranteed under current resources, and many rely on voluntary goodwill from staff or community members.

We ask the Government to provide funding for dedicated roles or additional care hours focused solely on EOL 1-1 companionship.

This would ensure that every person receives compassionate presence at the end of life, support for their loved ones, and a standard of care that reflects humanity at its best.

Background
Every person deserves dignity, comfort, and human connection at the end of their life. Yet across the UK, many people in care homes die without anyone by their side. Not because people don’t care — but because, under current systems, dedicated one-to-one presence at the bedside is not guaranteed.

Some care homes run voluntary “vigil” schemes, where staff or community members give their own time to sit with a resident in their final moments. These are beautiful acts of kindness, but they depend entirely on goodwill and availability.

We believe this should not be left to chance.
By funding dedicated End-of-Life 1-1 companionship, the Government could ensure that:

No one faces the end of life alone.
Families can take comfort in knowing their loved one is supported until the very last moment.
Care homes are equipped to meet not just medical needs, but emotional and human needs too.
Dying is a part of living — and how we treat people in their final moments says everything about us as a society.
This is about compassion. This is about dignity. This is about all of us.