"You Don't Feel Alone": Perceptions of the My Tools 4 Care-In Care Web-Based Interactive Toolkit

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Health Informatics
• Psychology

Background:

• Caregiving for individuals with dementia in long-term care (LTC) presents significant physical and mental challenges.
• Web-based interventions are increasingly utilized to support family carers' wellbeing.
• The My Tools for Care (MT4C)-In Care toolkit is a novel self-administered, web-based resource for this population.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the acceptability, usability, and usefulness of the MT4C-In Care toolkit.
• To gather feedback from family carers of persons living with dementia in LTC settings.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative description methodology was employed.
• Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 39 family carers across Canadian study sites.
• Deductive content analysis was used to analyze interview data.

Main Results:

• Participants found the MT4C-In Care toolkit suitable and adequate for supporting their caregiving role.
• The online format was perceived as easy to use, despite external barriers.
• Usefulness was reported in three key areas: validation of feelings, permission for self-care, and enhanced caregiving knowledge.

Conclusions:

• The MT4C-In Care interactive toolkit is perceived by family carers as an acceptable, usable, and meaningful support resource.
• The intervention effectively addresses carer wellbeing and knowledge enhancement in the context of dementia care in LTC.