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

With the physical and mental impacts of caregiving being well-documented, there is an emphasis on creating interventions to support family carers and enhance their wellbeing. Many of these have been shifting toward accessible, web-based interventions. My Tools for Care (MT4C)-In Care is a self-administered, web-based intervention for carers of persons living with dementia residing in long-term care (LTC). The objectives of the current study were to understand the acceptability, usability, and usefulness of the MT4C-In Care toolkit. Using qualitative description, semi-structured interviews with family carers (n = 39) were completed across Canadian study sites in four provinces. Interviews were analyzed using deductive content analysis. Participants found the toolkit to be a suitable and adequate tool to support them as carers of persons living with dementia residing in LTC. They also perceived the online format easy to use, although there were barriers, outside of the intervention, to using the tool. The perceived usefulness was described by participants in three ways. The toolkit: (1) validated and normalized feelings, (2) provided permission for self-care and mental well-being, and (3) strengthened their caregiving knowledge. The MT4C-In Care interactive toolkit provided support that participants perceived as acceptable, easy to use, and meaningful.