Family and friend caregivers supporting an adult with health limitations in the community are an integral part of our health care system. However, caregivers need support, both to ensure their own well being, and that of the people they care for. Assessing the needs of caregivers, apart from the care recipient, is an important way to identify their strengths and unique challenges and to support their health and welfare.
In the mid 90s Canadian researchers (see below) received funding from Health Canada to advance the practice of assessing the needs of family and friend caregivers. As a result, the C.A.R.E. Tool and Caregiver Risk Screen were created to provide a comprehensive method of evaluating caregivers’ (family and friends) needs. Since then, members of the team have received subsequent funding from a variety of sources to further advance their work on caregiver assessment (see Projects).
Interest in the C.A.R.E. Tool (long and short version) and the Caregiver Risk Screen has come from around the globe.They are copyrighted materials that are owned by the research team and to use the C.A.R.E. Tool, training is usually required. In the interest of sharing information, copies of the C.A.R.E. Tools and Caregiver Risk Screen are available to download for reference only (see Instruments). Should you have any interest in using the tools in practice or research, you must contact the researchers to obtain permission.
Nancy Guberman, École de travail social, Université du Québec à Montréal
Janice Keefe, Department of Family Studies & Gerontology, Mount Saint Vincent University (janice.keefe@msvu.ca)
Pamela Fancey, Nova Scotia Centre on Aging, Mount Saint Vincent University (pamela.fancey@msvu.ca)
Lucy Barylak, CSSS Cavendish, Montreal (lucy.barylak.cvd@ssss.gouv.gc.ca)
Daphne Nahmiash, École de travail social,Université Laval (retired)