A person-centred approach to support family caregivers in specialised home care : The Carer Support Needs Assessment Tool Intervention

Family caregivers are crucial providers of support and care for patients with lifethreatening illness and many report unmet support needs. With the use of quantitative and qualitative methods this thesis aimed to evaluate the Carer Support Needs Assessment Tool (CSNAT) and explore experiences and potential effects of utilising the Carer Support Needs Assessment Tool Intervention (CSNAT-I) among family caregivers and registered nurses in the context of specialised home care. The results showed that the CSNAT tool was valid and reliable for use among family caregivers in specialised home care (I). Family caregivers reported most the need for additional support concerning “Knowing what to expect in the future” (I, II). They reported and described how higher levels of need for more support were associated with poorer quality of life (II). The intervention was effective in significantly increasing family caregivers’ preparedness for caregiving (p = 0.002) (IV). Participating nurses expressed that their everyday clinical practice changed while learning to use the CSNAT-I and they experienced professional and personal growth (III). Their assessments and supportive inputs shifted from reactive towards proactive and more in collaboration with family caregivers. When utilizing the CSNAT-I, family caregivers experienced their conversations with nurses as co-created, providing new perspectives and insights which increased their involvement and helped in finding solutions (V). In conclusion, this thesis gives further weight to the importance of addressing family caregivers' support needs as a part of nursing