Implementing the Carer Support Needs Assessment Tool (CSNAT)

Caring properly for carers means that patients are better cared for and more likely to stay at home for their palliative care needs. The Carer Support Needs Assessment Tool (CSNAT) has shown promise in the UK in helping carers during hospital discharge.

This project provided an opportunity to introduce the tool into usual occupational therapy practice at Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre and Royal Melbourne Hospital. Embedding the CSNAT into practice required a substantial shift in how therapists typically address and support carers’ needs.

Impacts

Carers’ needs are now seen as their own needs and not exclusively determined by the patient’s needs.

The project also showed that following up on carers’ needs after discharge does not ‘open up a can of worms’ and is easily adopted into practice.

Overall, there was high acceptance and participation in the CSNAT intervention by occupational therapists, carers, patients and health services. More than 100 carers were introduced to the CSNAT during the project, with more than 90% of the carers accepting the offer to complete the tool. Patients, carers and occupational therapists viewed the CSNAT as a positive addition to practice and care.

These results were published in Australian Occupational Therapy Journal.

Grant funding was also secured from the Peter Mac Endowment Fund for the conduct of a clinical trial to further test the impact of the CSNAT.