A terminally ill person who chooses to be cared for at home should be eligible for support from a palliative care team. Despite health professional involvement, a relative or friend often becomes the primary carer. However, strategies to enhance educational support for carers to help them cope with the demanding role are limited. The use of a contemporary adult learning model appears to offer a valuable educational framework. Key points Palliative care should ideally be provided in an environment of the patient's choice.
Care often takes place in the home with an untrained relative or partner as the primary carer.
A deficit in carer education and knowledge may cause undue stress, which can in turn be detrimental to the quality of the care provided. Although professional carers require training before they begin their role, lay carers provide similar services without any formal preparation and rely instead on trial and error. Training sessions for lay carers can enhance the learning process. However, many carers may not be able to attend. All palliative personnel have a duty to educate carers about the relevant issues associated with their area of practice.