Information for the public

Care at the end of life

Care at the end of life

If your idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is advanced you should also be offered end of life care. End of life care helps people live as well as possible at the end of their life.

You and your family and carers should have access to the full range of services offered by the palliative care team.

Ventilation

Mechanical ventilation is a type of life support where a machine helps a person breathe when their body is unable to. Mechanical ventilation is unsuitable for treating idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Because of this, mechanical ventilation should not usually be offered to people with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis who develop life-threatening breathing problems.

Questions you might like to ask

  • How can I and my family and carers access palliative care services?

  • Why is mechanical ventilation unsuitable for people with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis?

  • What other options are there for treating life-threatening breathing problems?

  • Information Standard