Working in partnership with adult informal carers: policy and practice

In England and Wales alone, more than 5 million informal carers provide support to individuals who wish to remain within their own homes. However, research has identified that there is a limited understanding of the informal carer role among health professionals, and deficits in information sharing and the involvement of informal carers in decision making in relation to care packages. This article considers recent policy relating to this area, placing particular emphasis on the role of the district nurse in working in partnership with informal carers.