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Title of Systematic Narrative Review Carer's Assessment Processes within
Adult Services: Informal Carers'
Perspectives.
Abstract
Context:
Informal carers are a vital source of support for some of the most vulnerable
members of society. Without their care and support the healthcare service would
be unsustainable, yet they are often undervalued and, in some cases, 'hidden.'
The impact of the caring role can have a considerable impact on the lives of
carers', especially upon their health and well-being. Consequently, health and
social care professionals play a vital role in the assessment of and response to
the needs of carers.
Much of the existing research literature focuses upon caregiver burden and the
efficacy of various carer assessment tools in practice; but research on the
assessment of carers support needs is limited. This review sought to add to the
existing literature by examining the perspectives of adult informal carers on their
experiences of carer assessment processes.
Methods employed in the review:
Three electronic databases were used to undertake a robust search of empirical
research. The databases searched were:
• Medline;
• Social Care Online; and
• Social Services Abstracts;
The search strategy utilised three main concept groups' carer, assessment and
perception; and associated index and text terms. Exclusion criteria were also
applied to limit the results using the following terms: child, 'young person', kinship,
adolescent, teen and 'foster carers.' These terms were excluded because the
focus of the review was upon adult informal carers.
Limits included: Year 2000 to 2021, peer-reviewed journals and English
language. All three databases were searched on 27th February 2022 resulting in
the retrieval of 13 studies. However, one study was excluded because its findings
were published across two of the retrieved studies and was considered a
duplication. Therefore, the final number of articles included in the review was 12.