A multimedia intervention to support family caregivers

The lack of choice and predominance of crisis-oriented care in relation to respite and long-term care for family carers and frail older people provided the authors with the rationale for the development, within the European-funded Assisting Carers using Telematic Interventions to meet Older person's Needs (ACTION) project, of two innovative multimedia programs. The key aim of the programs is to provide education, information, and support about respite care and planning for the future for family carers and frail older people in their homes. In this way, it is intended that family carers and frail older people will be able to make informed choices concerning their health and social care needs. The authors describe the conceptual basis of the multimedia programs, the research and development process, the content of the multimedia programs, and the evaluation of the developed product.