Communication‐Support Needs Assessment Tool for Dementia

Family carers play a central role in community-based palliative care. However, caring for a terminally ill person puts the carer at increased risk of physical and mental morbidity. The Carer Support Needs Assessment Tool (CSNAT) enables comprehensive assessment of carer support needs. The present study aimed to identify barriers and facilitators to implementing the CSNAT in a community specialist palliative care service. Semi-structured interviews with 12 palliative care nurse specialists from two community nursing teams in Lothian, Scotland, June 2017. Data was audio-recorded, transcribed and analysed. Palliative care nurse specialists acknowledge the importance of carers in palliative care and encourage carer support practices. Nurses perceived the CSNAT as useful, but used it as an ‘add-on’ to current practice, rather than as a new approach to carer-led assessment. Further training is recommended to ensure community palliative care nurses are familiar with the broader CSNAT approach.

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14 Enabling tailored and coordinated support for family carers of people with motor neurone disease through adaptation of a carer support needs assessment tool (CSNAT) intervention

BMJ Supportive & Palliative Care ◽

10.1136/bmjspcare-2018-mariecurie.14 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 8 (3) ◽

pp. 365.1-365 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Gail Ewing ◽

Sarah Croke ◽

Christine Rowland ◽

Gunn Grande

Keyword(s):

Needs Assessment ◽

Assessment Tool ◽

Motor Neurone ◽

Motor Neurone Disease ◽

Support Needs ◽

List Type ◽

Family Carers ◽

Carer Support ◽

Main Support ◽

Stage 1

IntroductionFamily carers provide vital support for people with Motor Neurone Disease (MND) but caregiving can be very physically and mentally demanding. It is therefore crucial to ensure healthcare practitioners (HCPs) can provide timely support to carers fitting their individual needs. Currently there are no UK interventions for this.AimTo adapt an existing carer support needs assessment tool (CSNAT) intervention to support the needs and situation of family carers of people with MND.MethodsStages:Focus groups and interviews with 33 carers (14 bereaved 19 current carers) to capture support needs key points of change during patient’s illness and main support services.Workshops with HCPs (N=17 recruited to date) and carer advisors (N=19) to inform materials and procedures for MND carer assessment and support.ResultsStage 1: Carers’ experience was one of dealing with a devastating diagnosis a constantly changing situation with heavy dependence on them as carers and with little consideration of their separate support needs. Carers’ support needs mainly mapped onto CSNAT domains but MND carers may experience relationship issues warranting further consideration. Stage 2 will integrate HCP and carers’ views on when where how and by whom MND carer assessment and support should best be provided.ConclusionsFindings to be presented from Stages 1 and 2 will provide insights into how MND carers want to be assessed and supported. This will form the basis for an intervention to be tested in a future Stage 3 feasibility study.FunderMarie Curie Research Fund/Motor Neurone Disease Association

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Face and content validity of the Carer Support Needs Assessment Tool (CSNAT), and feasibility of the CSNAT intervention, for carers of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Chronic Illness ◽

10.1177/1742395321999433 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 174239532199943

Author(s):

Kerry Micklewright ◽

Morag Farquhar

Keyword(s):

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease ◽

Needs Assessment ◽

Pulmonary Disease ◽

Content Validity ◽

Assessment Tool ◽

Chronic Obstructive ◽

Support Needs ◽

Obstructive Pulmonary Disease ◽

Carer Support ◽

The Impact

Objectives Informal carers of patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) have unmet support needs. Evidence relating to carers’ support needs in chronic conditions informed version 3 of the Carer Support Needs Assessment Tool (CSNAT) which forms part of an intervention to identify and address carer support needs. Aim of study: to establish the face and content validity of CSNAT v3 for use with COPD carers and explore their views on delivery of the CSNAT Intervention in practice. Methods Focus groups conducted September-October 2019 in non-clinical settings recruited eleven COPD carers (two to six participants per group). COPD patients ( n = 2) attended one group to facilitate carer attendance, the impact of which is discussed. Most participating carers were female ( n = 10); carers’ ages ranged 52–79 years. Results CSNAT v3 was easy to understand and complete, and all 15 domains were considered relevant and appropriate, suggesting good face and content validity. The demeanour, relational skills, and knowledge of the CSNAT facilitator appeared more important to carers than being a certain practitioner type. Discussion COPD carers considered the CSNAT Intervention an acceptable way of identifying and responding to their needs. The intervention could potentially be delivered through a range of services.

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