Caregiver needs and resources assessment: Development and validation

Abstract

Background: Caregivers of older adults are essential in fostering aging-in-place. Caregiving can be challenging and uncertain. While most supporting efforts are used to satisfy the needs of caregivers, their strengths are often overlooked in the individualized support planning. This study aimed to develop the Caregiver Needs and Resources Assessment (CNRA), which can aid social workers incase management of caregivers.

Methods: Items were generated and selected based on theories, existing measures, and practitioner consultations. A total of 351 caregivers of older adults recruited through 4non-government organizations in Hong Kong completed a survey that included the initial items in CNRA, measures of related constructs, and some measures of well-being outcomes (e.g., quality of life, burden, personal gain, positive aspects of caregiving).

Results: Items on needs and resources were analyzed separately, considering the differences in their nature and utilization in care management. Using exploratory factor analyses, five factors on needs (physiological needs, role conflict, care recipient’s needs, psychological needs, and social needs; 15 items) and seven factors on resources (spirituality, self-efficacy, responsibility, community supports, family supports, closeness with the care recipient, and health awareness; 21 items) were extracted. The model fit indexes in the confirmatory factor analyses were also satisfactory. The evidence for convergent validity were demonstrated by the moderate-to-high correlations between the factors in CNRA and the related constructs/outcomes.

Discussion: Supporting evidence was found on the validity of CNRA. The factors on needs covered most areas of other existing measures. Personal agency (e.g., self-efficacy) and social agency (e.g., family supports) are two major groups of resources. Further studies are needed to examine the usefulness of CNRA in case management by social workers.