Expectations to and evaluation of a palliative home-care team as seen by patients and carers.
OBJECTIVE
Although the number of palliative home-care teams is increasing, knowledge of what patients and principal informal carers expect from a home-care team is sparse. We aimed to elucidate this as well as evaluate a home-care team.


METHODS
Individual semi-structured interviews with nine patients and six carers before receiving home care and 2-4 weeks after. In total, 26 interviews were conducted. Interviews were analysed with Template Analysis. Peer debriefing was performed.


RESULTS
Patients and carers expected the team members to have specialised knowledge in palliative care and to improve their sense of security being at home. They also expected respite for carers and activities for patients. They evaluated the team positively but missed respite for carers and 24-h on-call service.


CONCLUSIONS
Patients and carers found the home-care team essential to their sense of security being at home. Primary health care professionals must receive any necessary training outside patients' homes. Offering respite for carers and 24-h on-call service would be an improvement.
Goldschmidt
Dorthe
D
Department of Palliative Medicine, Bispebjerg Hospital, Bispebjerg Bakke 23, 20D 1, 2400 Copenhagen NV, Denmark. dorthe.goldschmidt@dadlnet.dk
Schmidt
Lone
L
Krasnik
Allan
A
Christensen
Ulla
U
Groenvold
Mogens
M
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017028:Caregivers; D005260:Female; D006699:Home Care Services; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010166:Palliative Care; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011446:Prospective Studies