Motor neurone disease (MND) results in disabilities that affect most activities in daily life. Patients with MND require care and support with these activities at some stage. Care for people with disabilities in the UK is usually provided informally by family members, friends and significant others. Health and social care services also provide care for people in their homes. However, there is a paucity of evidence on how well health and social care professionals who are not MND specialists are prepared.
This study explored how generalist health and social care professionals perceived their preparedness to care for patients with MND at home in palliative and end of life care. It found that practitioners needed formal training and that support from the multidisciplinary team was valued. Practitioners need to be updated about how to care for patients with MND.
Primary Health Care. 29, 5, 38-44. doi: 10.7748/phc.2019.e1515
Peer reviewThis article has been subject to external double-blind peer review and has been checked for plagiarism using automated software
Correspondence Conflict of interestNone declared
Brewah H (2019) A qualitative study of the preparedness of practitioners to care for people with motor neurone disease in their homes. Primary Health Care. doi: 10.7748/phc.2019.e1515
AcknowledgementsThe author would like to thank Rosemary Martin, Steven Zingwe and participants from Berkshire Health Care Foundation Trust
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