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Carers' experiences and perceived outcomes in Namaste Care implementations: A mixed-studies systematic review
Laura Tham Schmidt1, Ari Haaranen2, Wei How Darryl Ang3
1Department of Nursing Science, University of Eastern Finland, Finland; Alice Lee Centre for Nursing Studies, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore.
Background:
Namaste Care is a non-pharmacotherapeutic intervention that has been implemented for individuals with moderate to advanced dementia and is gaining wider use in palliative care contexts. Although prior reviews have focused on the outcomes of Namaste Care intervention on care recipients, the experiences and perspectives of carers remain largely unexamined.
Objective:
To consolidate evidence on the experiences of carers and perceived outcomes in implementing Namaste Care.
Design:
A mixed-studies systematic review following a convergent integrated approach.
Methods:
A systematic search was conducted across nine electronic databases (PubMed, Embase, CINAHL Complete, Scopus, Web of Science, PsyInfo, The Cochrane Library, Google Scholar and Proquest); encompassing quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-methods studies. Published and unpublished English language studies from 2004 to 2024 were eligible for selection, with inclusion criteria of formal and informal carers involved in Namaste Care implementation and their perceived outcomes. Studies focusing on carers delivering non-Namaste Care interventions were excluded. Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool was used to assess methodological quality. The qualitative findings were synthesised using thematic analysis and narrative analysis was used for quantitative findings. Both results were integrated using convergent data synthesis.
Results:
19 studies across seven countries were included (14 qualitative studies, four mixed-methods studies and one randomised controlled trial with an embedded qualitative process evaluation). The formal and informal carers gained positive experiences and perceived outcomes from implementing Namaste Care. Three themes emerged from the integrated qualitative and quantitative findings indicating the implementation of Namaste Care enabled both formal and informal carers to i) enhancing wellbeing, ii) deliver holistic care and iii) experience transformative growth. This review also identified key challenges encountered by carers during the implementation.
Conclusion:
Namaste Care enabled both formal and informal carers to experience enhancing wellbeing, deliver holistic care, and experience transformative growth, alongside implementation challenges. Successful implementation requires structured strategies and strong organisational support. Educators, leaders and clinicians are encouraged to integrate Namaste Care into the curricula and clinical practice to strengthen holistic care. Given the limited methodological strength of the quantitative evidence, the results should therefore be interpreted with caution.
Registration:
This review was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42024609578).