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Barriers and facilitators to implementing the Carer Support Needs Assessment Tool in a community palliative care setting

Family carers play a central role in community-based palliative care. However, caring for a terminally ill person puts the carer at increased risk of physical and mental morbidity. The Carer Support Needs Assessment Tool (CSNAT) enables comprehensive assessment of carer support needs. The present study aimed to identify barriers and facilitators to implementing the CSNAT in a community specialist palliative care service. Semi-structured interviews with 12 palliative care nurse specialists from two community nursing teams in Lothian, Scotland, June 2017. Data was audio-recorded, transcribed and analysed. Palliative care nurse specialists acknowledge the importance of carers in palliative care and encourage carer support practices. Nurses perceived the CSNAT as useful, but used it as an 'add-on' to current practice, rather than as a new approach to carer-led assessment. Further training is recommended to ensure community palliative care nurses are familiar with the broader CSNAT approach.

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Key Information

Type of Reference
Jour
Type of Work
Journal article
Publisher
Mark Allen Holdings Limited
ISBN/ISSN
1462-4753
Publication Year
2019
Issue Number
6
Journal Titles
British Journal of Community Nursing
Volume Number
24
Start Page
284
End Page
290