Abstract
BackgroundPrevious qualitative research proved that relatives of elderly terminally ill Turkish and Moroccan immigrants experience several barriers to the use of Dutch professional home care. The aim of this study was to explore how general practitioners and home care nurses perceive the home care for terminally ill Turkish and Moroccan migrants and their families in the Netherlands.MethodsQuestionnaires were sent to home care organizations and GPs working in areas where most of these migrants are living. 93 nurses and 78 GPs provided information about their experiences and opinions regarding home care for this group of patients. The data were analyzed by descriptive statistics.ResultsGPs refer relatively few patients from these migrant groups to home care. They often find it difficult to assess the needs of these patients and their families. In 40% of the GPs' cases in which terminally ill Turkish and Moroccan migrants were not referred to home care, the GP regretted this afterwards: the patients had not received sufficient qualified care, and their informal carers had often become overburdened.In addition, home care nurses often express dissatisfaction with the home care given to terminally ill Turkish or Moroccan patients, because of communication problems, the patients' lack of knowledge of the disease, or difficulties in making suitable appointments with the patient or with the family.ConclusionNurses and GPs cite chiefly similar factors influencing access to and use of home care as family members did in a previous study. However, according to GPs and nurses, the main barrier to the use of home care concerns communication problems, while relatives cited the preference for family care as the main reason for abstaining from the use of home care.
Highlights
Previous qualitative research proved that relatives of elderly terminally ill Turkish and Moroccan immigrants experience several barriers to the use of Dutch professional home care
We received 352 questionnaires (60% gross response) from GPs. Of this group 78 had cared for one or more terminally ill Turkish or Moroccan patients in the last 4 years, which implies a net response of 13%
In this study we focused on the ideas and experiences of GPs and home care nurses with regard to home care for terminally ill Turkish and Moroccan patients
Summary
Previous qualitative research proved that relatives of elderly terminally ill Turkish and Moroccan immigrants experience several barriers to the use of Dutch professional home care. The educational level of these migrant groups is lower than of the general population; in particular the first generation tends not to have mastered the Dutch language very well and many of them are living in deprived areas, with few contacts with people from outside their own community [14]. This might partially explain why they have less contact with Dutch home care facilities
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