146Feasibility of a Resilience-Enhancing Resource for Family Carers of People with Dementia

Background: The WHO recommends involving carers in designing support programmes for people with dementia and their family carers. Moreover, researchers need to develop empowering and inclusive models of research in dementia care. Working with a network of current and former family carers of people with dementia, we co-designed an information and support resource to enhance the resilience of family carers of people with dementia. Branded Take Care of Yourself, the support resource comprises a website containing short video testimonials of family carers of people with dementia, supplemented with written materials. Methods: We conducted a study to establish the feasibility of the resource, in terms of its acceptability and usability among family carers of people with dementia. To test the feasibility of the resource, we developed a logic model in which we established short- medium- and long-term indicators of success, to identify which aspects of the resource were most effective in enhancing family carers’ resilience. To capture these indicators, we conducted a series of workshops among a purposive sample of current and former family carers of people with dementia and other stakeholders, including carers’ advocates and healthcare and support staff. Results: We report the findings of the feasibility study, with reference to the carers’ and other users’ experiences of and responses to the resource, including their perspectives on its content, quality, relevance and capacity to enhance resilience. We present our findings using thematic headings, supplemented with data extracts that exemplify the emergent themes. Conclusion: Consistent with the principles of empowerment and inclusion in research, support resources for family carers of people with dementia need to be developed in partnership with family carers themselves. Moreover, to be effective in meeting the needs of those for whom a resource is designed, the resource content must have fidelity and resonate with users’ real-world experiences.