- Title
- Meeting the needs of family carers: an evaluation of three home-based palliative care services in Australia
- Creator
- Thomas, Kristina; Hudson, Peter; Oldham, Lynn; Kelly, Brian; Trauer, Tom
- Relation
- Palliative Medicine Vol. 24, Issue 2, p. 183-191
- Publisher Link
- http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0269216309351467
- Publisher
- Sage Publications
- Resource Type
- journal article
- Date
- 2010
- Description
- While policy promotes comprehensive assessment of family carer needs and a plan to adequately meet family carer needs within palliative care, there is a lack of studies in the Australian context which examine the current type of assessment and types of care provided to family carers. The aims of this study were (1) to determine how carer needs are currently assessed and what level of support is available to family carers in three home-based palliative care services within Australia, (2) identify areas for improvement of support to carers and, (3) explore the barriers to offering carer support. A focus group and file audit were conducted at two metropolitan and one regional home-based palliative care service in Australia. These palliative care sites reported substantially different levels of services provided to family carers and also reported multiple barriers to providing services for family carers. Only one site had a formal structured procedure to assess carer needs and none of the sites used a separate carer care plan or offered a structured intervention to assist carers with their role. Family meetings were offered infrequently by most sites. A number of barriers to supporting carers were highlighted including lack of resources, and areas for improvement were also suggested by health professionals from the sites.
- Subject
- family carers; palliative care; primary carers; support
- Identifier
- http://hdl.handle.net/1959.13/929600
- Identifier
- uon:10633
- Identifier
- ISSN:0269-2163
- Language
- eng
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