The third person in the room: the needs of care partners of older people in home care services. A systematic review from a person-centred perspective

Aims and objectives To identify and synthesise the needs of care partners of older people living at home with assistance from home care services. Background “Aging in place” is a promoted concept where care partners and home care services play significant roles. Identifying the needs of care partners and finding systematic ways of meeting them can help care partners to cope with their role. Design/ Methods This study is based on the PRISMA reporting guidelines. The systematic review of qualitative and quantitative studies was guided by the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) methodology. Results In total, 16 studies were included in the review, eleven qualitative and five quantitative. Three main categories were revealed in the analysis; the need for quality interaction, the need for a shared approach to care and the need to feel empowered. Conclusion Care partners of older people have several, continuously unmet needs. A person-centred perspective can contribute new understandings of how to meet these needs. A knowledge gap has been identified regarding the needs of care partners of older people with mental health problems. There is a need to develop a tool for systematic collaboration between home care services and care partners, so that the identified needs can be met in a more thorough, systematic and person-centred way.