An exploration of how patients experience the care they receive from an older persons community mental health team

Nine participants attended focus groups to explore their experience of Community Mental Health Teams (CMHT). Semi-structured interviews were conducted, and questions explored four themes: beginnings, experience, treatment and endings. Five themes arose from these interviews which included managing expectations, promoting recovery, shared experience, qualities enabling empowerment and working together and partnership working. Study limitations and future clinical service implications are discussed.