✍ Scribed by JULIE NANKERVIS; HILARY SCHOFIELD; HELEN HERRMAN; SIDNEY BLOCH
No coin nor oath required. For personal study only.
Objective. To identify unmet need for services among family carers and their frail or disabled relatives and to facilitate links to services.
Design. Intervention study with a subgroup of carer dyads from a random statewide survey of family carers, followed by telephone 2 months post intervention.
Setting. Carer dyads in general community; urban and rural Victoria.
Participants. All 186 identi®ed carers were approached. One-third of the dyads were ineligible; of the remainder, 67 (53%) participated, matching refusals on sociodemographic characteristics. Carers were typically married, middleaged women looking after parents or spouses. Almost half of the care recipients were aged 580; most had multiple disorders and impairments. Follow-up rate was 94%.
Intervention. One o, multidisciplinary home-based assessment of dyad by research team and regional aged care assessment service (ACAT).
Main outcome measures. `Unmet need': % dyads recommended new services; number services per dyad via ACAT; increases in service range; extension of pre-existing services. Service linkage: % dyads linked to new services; perceived usefulness of linkages.
Main results. Dyads recommended a new service (93%); increased range (73%); extensions (41%). Average two services requiring ACAT implementation; commonly respite care, aids and paramedical services. Recommendations related to impairment severity and carer stress. ACAT implemented recommendations (90% relevant dyads); links rated useful (75% relevant dyads). Three-quarters of the carers rated intervention as helpful.
Conclusion. A preventative programme of needs assessment for carer dyads has considerable potential; (a) identifying needs and engaging new services; (b) providing emotional support.
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