Experiences of family carers supporting older people within the last year of life in rural and remote areas in the UK.

Background: In the UK, a large proportion of older adults live in rural/remote locations. More people are dying at home and require care from their families. Little is known about the experiences of family carers of older people in rural/remote areas in the last year of life.

Aim: To explore the experiences of current and bereaved family carers who support/ed an older person in a rural area in the UK towards the end-of-life.

Design: Qualitative methodology using semi-structured interviews and reflexive thematic analysis methods.

Method: Interviews were conducted with family carers of rural/remote-dwelling older people in the last year of life. Participants were recruited through national support services, third sector organisations and social media.

Results: Interviews were conducted with 20 family carers. Most were female (n = 17) and aged 52-80 years. Family carers experienced difficulties in accessing health and social care in rural/remote areas due to workforce and skills shortages within their regions. The wider community helped with practical tasks and made carers feel less alone. Community-based services, such as day care, helped to provide respite for carers and promoted meaningful activity and social inclusion for older people. Although internet access was problematic, family carers gained support remotely via social media and telehealth services.

Conclusion: Family carers of older people in the last year of life in rural/remote areas value support from the wider community. Further work is required to understand how Public Health approaches to palliative care and workforce distribution can support rural/remote carers and older people.