# Friends and neighbours as non-kin caregivers of seriously ill patients at the end of life: a scoping review of experiences, individual capacities, support needs and services

## TL;DR

This review explores the role of friends and neighbors in caring for seriously ill patients at the end of life, highlighting their under-recognized contributions and support needs.

## Contribution

The study identifies research gaps and themes related to non-kin caregivers, emphasizing their distinct experiences and limited access to support.

## Key findings

- Non-kin caregivers often face significant responsibilities but remain under-recognized and underserved.
- There is a lack of clear differentiation between non-kin and family caregivers in existing research.
- Support services for non-kin caregivers are limited and not tailored to their specific needs.

## Abstract

The number of older individuals in need of care is projected to increase in the coming years. As support from family members is becoming increasingly limited, often due to geographical distance, non-kin caregivers, such as neighbours, friends, and acquaintances, are assuming an increasingly significant role in providing support. The present scoping review aimed to identify, describe and synthesise existing evidence on the experiences, individual capacities and support needs of informal non-kin caregivers of patients at the end of life, as well as the support services available to them.

The review followed the methodological framework of Arksey and O’Malley. A search was conducted in four electronic databases (CINAHL, PsycInfo, PubMed, Web of Science Core Collection) on 10 October 2022 using a highly sensitive search strategy, and updated on 8 January 2025. Reference lists of the included studies were also hand-searched.

Two authors independently reviewed the titles and abstracts of 2,931 articles and screened 128 full texts. Seven articles met the inclusion criteria, and a further three articles were identified through hand searching. The analysis revealed seven overarching themes: (1) the duration and extent of non-kin caregiving, (2) caregiving relationships, (3) enabling care at home, (4) support wishes and needs, (5) modes of support, (6) non-kin caregivers as ‘hidden’ caregivers and (7) caregiving burden. Notable research gaps were identified, particularly regarding the low visibility of friends and neighbours in informal care, the lack of clear differentiation from family caregivers and the limited access to appropriate support and palliative care services.

The findings showed that informal non-kin caregivers of seriously ill patients at the end of life remain under-recognised, despite the significant responsibilities they undertake. Future research is needed to improve access to tailored support and to distinguish their experiences from those of family caregivers.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12904-025-01962-5.