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The Carers' Needs Assessment for Dementia (CNA-D): development, validity and reliability

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 September 2005

Johannes Wancata ,
Monika Krautgartner ,
Julia Berner ,
Rainer Alexandrowicz ,
Anne Unger ,
Gerda Kaiser ,
Barbara Marquart  and
Maria Weiss
Johannes Wancata
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
Monika Krautgartner
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
Julia Berner
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
Rainer Alexandrowicz
Affiliation:
Institute of Psychology, University of Klagenfurt, Klagenfurt, Austria
Anne Unger
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
Gerda Kaiser
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
Barbara Marquart
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
Maria Weiss
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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Abstract

Background: A variety of interventions are available to support the caregivers of dementia patients. For the purposes of service planning, we developed an instrument to assess the needs of these caregivers and to determine whether needs are met. The reliability and validity of this new instrument was also investigated.

Methods: The development of the Carers' Needs Assessment for Dementia (CNA-D), was based on in-depth interviews and a focus group. The combined inter-rater and test–retest reliability was investigated among 45 dementia caregivers. Correlations of the CNA-D with the Zarit Burden Inventory were used to analyze concurrent validity. Content validity was investigated by performing a separate survey among 40 caregivers and 40 professionals.

Results: The CNA-D is a semi-structured research interview including 18 problem areas. For each problem area, the CNA-D offers several possible interventions. The relevance of the problem areas and the interventions (content validity) was confirmed by most of the study participants. Significant positive associations were found between the total score of the Zarit Burden Inventory and the number of problems and the number of unmet needs according to the CNA-D. The agreement between the interviewers was “excellent” (κ above 0.75) in 73.7% of the problem areas and in 69.9% of the interventions.

Conclusions: The CNA-D is a valid and reliable instrument for comprehensively assessing the needs of dementia caregivers.

Keywords

dementiacaregiverneeds assessmentservice evaluationreliabilityvalidity
Type
Research Article
Information
International Psychogeriatrics , Volume 17 , Issue 3 , September 2005 , pp. 393 - 406
Copyright
International Psychogeriatric Association 2005

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