Identifying abuse types & signs

The Caregiver Strain Index is an assessment tool that considers the financial, psychological, occupational and social wellbeing impacts of caring. It aims to prompt carers to reflect on their thoughts and feelings about themselves and their caring responsibilities. 

The Caregiver Strain Index assessment tool can help professionals gauge how carers are coping with their caring duties, and on a personal level, in order to identify opportunities to access support and assistance. 

The tool can be completed by a carer or by a professional in conversation with a carer and takes around 5 minutes to complete. Each item prompts a ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ score, with 7 or more ‘Yes’ responses indicating a high level of strain.

Being asked the kinds of questions included in the Caregiver Strain Index assessment tool can be distressing for carers, whether at the time of completing the assessment or some time after. It is important that professionals conducting these assessments:

• Explain to the carer what the assessment will involve (including how long it will take, and the kinds of questions it will cover)

• Explain to the carer the purpose of conducting the assessment and what they plan to do with the information collected

• Take the time to go through the questions at the carer’s own pace, listening attentively and empathetically as they share their experiences and reflections

• Complete the assessment in a quiet, private location where the carer is comfortable. Ideally, the person they care for should not be present if possible, so the carer can speak freely

• Ensure that adequate information and support is put in place in response to any concerns raised by the carer

• Ensure information shared by the carer is captured comprehensively to avoid them having to re-share challenging experiences unnecessarily

• Ensure that any notes are handled in a confidential manner, especially if sensitive issues are raised

If strain is identified, the professional conducting the assessment should discuss the highest priority areas to address and work with the carer to identify possible strategies. Discussion points could include:

• Identifying the aspects of the caring role causing the carer most stress (scores from the tool should help with this)

• Identifying the challenges that are most straightforward to address (e.g. if specific information and services are available)

• Realistic expectations about what services can, or cannot, offer

• Making and documenting a simple, concrete plan with clear steps for the carer to take, and ideally establishing a checkpoint or contact to monitor progress

The supports available to carers may differ depending on the strain identified, the condition(s) and age of the person they care for and the carer’s location and socio-economic status. If a specific referral pathway is unclear, referring carers to the Carer Gateway service provider in their region is recommended.

Carer Gateway
1800 422 737
www.carergateway.com.au 

If a high level of strain is identified, immediate mental health support may be more appropriate.  

Mental Health Line
1800 011 511

Lifeline
13 11 14
Text: 0477 131 114

These factsheets have been developed by Carers NSW Australia to help recognise Carer Stress.

• Recognising Carer Stress - For Carers (PDF, 298.0KB)
• Recognising Carer Stress - For Professionals (PDF, 289.0KB)