Assessing carers' training needs: a pilot inquiry

This paper describes a study to assess the needs for training of family car ers of people with dementia, as part of an EU project to develop a training package for carers. Although there is a great deal published about the str esses and burden of caring, there is an absence of tools for the assessment of needs for training. Focus groups of carers and professionals were used to identify the areas to be explored in semi-structured interviews with car ers. Thirty additional carers were interviewed. All met the Carers' (Recogn ition and Services) Act definition of providing 'regular and substantial' c are to their relative and the demographic characteristics of the sample wer e typical of those of national samples of 'informal carers'. Two-thirds of carers were willing to attend groups. All carers wanted information about d ementia. The topics rated most highly after that were those about how to ge t help and the best way to interact with services. Carers also wanted speci fic information about managing their relative's dementia: memory aids, diff icult behaviour and, to a lesser extent, managing risk and communication. I nformation about practical aspects of caring were rated more highly by the carers willing to attend groups. Coping with stress, loss and the carers' o wn emotions were also deemed important. Carers willing to attend groups sai d that they would read material and complete homework tasks.