Palliative care: the experience of informal carers within the Bangladeshi community

Abstract

Optimal palliative care cannot be realized unless nurses have a full understanding of what the patient's family is experiencing. There is a gap in nursing knowledge related to informal care and ethnic minorities. The aim of this retrospective qualitative exploratory study was to investigate the experiences of Bangladeshi informal carers living in the UK, associated with caring for a dying relative. Semi-structured interviews using an interpreter were carried out and patient notes were examined. Four categories emerged from the data: caring, support, communication, and home and family. In addition to the demands and stresses caused by their relative's symptoms and the knowledge that they were dying, the Bangladeshi carers experienced communication barriers, isolation and anxieties regarding visas and housing--yet all were uncomplaining about their situation. Palliative care nurses working with Bangladeshi families need to be aware of the additional stresses that these families may experience and be able to offer strategies to enable them to cope with them.