Carers' Information Needs

Introduction

As part of the Carers' Strategy Action Plan 2014-2018, the Ministry of Social Development is developing information resources to help family and whānau carers in their role.
During our consultation on the Action Plan in 2013, carers identified older carers and carers of older people as groups that we need to focus on.
If you are an older carer, or a carer of an older person, this questionnaire is for you.

We are asking for your feedback on:

the information you would like to have to support you in your caring role
the formats you would like this information to be in (eg brochures, online documents)
where you would like to be able to find this information.

You can email this form to or return it to:

Ministry of Social Development
Attn: Older People’s Policy
PO Box 1556
Wellington 6140

The closing date for all feedback is 5.00 pm, Wednesday 17June 2015.

The information in this questionnaire will be held by the Ministry of Social Development. We do not ask or require you to identify yourself in order to complete this questionnaire, but if you do, your personal information and submission will be handled in accordance with the Privacy Act 1993.

Your submission will be also subject to the Official Information Act 1982, which means that it may be considered for public release. Please clearly identify, under “other comments” on the final page of the questionnaire, any reason why you consider all or part of your submission should not be made publicly available (for example: information is commercially sensitive or confidential). In considering whether to release all or part of your submission, we will take into account your comments.

About you

We are asking these questions to help us understand how the information needs of older carers and carers of older people are distinctive.

1Are you:

an older carer (65 years of age or older)
a carer of an older person
both
other (please specify)
______

2Do you identify as: [select all that apply]

□New Zealand European

□Māori

□Pasifika

□Asian

□other (please specify)
______

3Would you say you live in a New Zealand:

city
town
rural area

Information needs

4In your role as a carer, how important to you is information about the following:

Very important / Somewhat important / A little important / Not at all important / N/A
Health and fitness / o / o / o / o / o
Having breaks / o / o / o / o / o
Time management / o / o / o / o / o
Mental health / o / o / o / o / o
Safety (eg when moving and handling) / o / o / o / o / o
Equipment and aids / o / o / o / o / o
Self-confidence / o / o / o / o / o
Relationship building and management / o / o / o / o / o
Financial planning / o / o / o / o / o
Accessing support / o / o / o / o / o
Emergency planning / o / o / o / o / o
Managing the transition from the caring role / o / o / o / o / o
Whether the caring role is right for me / o / o / o / o / o
Finding suitable paid work / o / o / o / o / o
Negotiating work arrangements / o / o / o / o / o
The needs of the person I provide care to / o / o / o / o / o

Do you need information about anything else, or would you like to tell us more about your needs?

______

Information formats

5How important is it to you that information is available in the following formats:

Very important / Somewhat important / A little important / Not at all important / N/A
Brochures / fliers / o / o / o / o / o
Longer printed guides / o / o / o / o / o
Web pages / o / o / o / o / o
Online documents / o / o / o / o / o
Social media postings / o / o / o / o / o
News feeds / o / o / o / o / o
Face to face meetings / Seminars / o / o / o / o / o

Are there any other formats you would like information in, or would you like to tell us more about any of these options?

______

Information sources

6How important is it to you that you can find information from the following:

Very important / Somewhat important / A little important / Not at all important / N/A
Websites for carers (eg carers.net.nz) / o / o / o / o / o
Government websites / o / o / o / o / o
Social media (eg Facebook, blogs) / o / o / o / o / o
Carer organisations / o / o / o / o / o
Government agencies / o / o / o / o / o
Health professionals/GPS and/or chemists / o / o / o / o / o
Community facilities (eg marae, libraries) / o / o / o / o / o
A church of other place of religious worship / o / o / o / o / o
My whānau or family / o / o / o / o / o

Are there any other places where you would like to find information to support your caring role?

Carers' Information Needs