CHS58 Provide information and support to carers of individuals with long term conditions

Overview

This standard covers the provision of information and support to carers of individuals with long term conditions.  A practitioner should be able to discuss with carers their role and responsibilities, and find out what support they need.  The practitioner will provide carers with information and identify sources of information to assist them using a variety of methods and in ways that is most likely to help the carer to understand it.  Users of this standard will need to ensure that practice reflects up to date information and policies. Version No 1

Knowledge and Understanding

You will need to know and understand:

1. The relationships between individuals and their carers, and how much they might want their involvement
2. The requirements and needs of carers, and how they could respond to changes in the condition of individuals
3. The type of information that is most useful to carers, and their right to access it
4. The role and responsibilities of different groups of carers, and the services and assistance to which they should be entitled
5. The abuse of carers, including physical, emotional, sexual, and financial
6. The difficulties with communication that can arise as a result of specific long term conditions, and how this changes according to fluctuations of symptoms
7. The methods and equipment that can be used to assess and monitor the communication skills of individuals
8. The guidelines and procedures for communicating with individuals with communication difficulties
9. The services and resources that are available to assist individuals to communicate, including communication aids, interventions, and strategies
10. The effects of communication difficulties on the individual and their relationships with others
11. The role of carers and others in facilitating communication
12. The principles of informed consent, including implied consent and expressed consent, and how these are applied in practice to protect individuals
13. The relevant national and organisational policies and guidelines on consent
14. The enduring power of attorney and other statutory statements, and other formal and informal methods of expressing wishes, including living wills
15. The requirements and needs of individuals, and the resources and services that are available to help them
16. Confidentiality and privacy issues relating to individuals
17. Methods to ensure individuals can maintain their dignity
18. Diversity issues, including culture, religion, sexuality and identity
19. An individuals’ rights to information, and what is likely to be most useful to them during the different phases of a long term condition
20. The current issues and research debates on specific long term conditions
21. Authoritative information and available resources including national, local and voluntary agencies for practitioners, individuals and carers
22. The type of information that individuals might require during the different phases of a specific long term condition
23. The ways of presenting information, including statistical, factual, and anecdotal information
24. Government and organisational policies, procedures, and guidelines relating to the care of individuals with long term conditions
25. Evidence based practice and its role in improving care
26. The ethics and responsibilities of practitioners, including professional codes of conduct and guidelines
27. Your own role and roles of other practitioners and agencies in providing a service to individuals
28. The resources available to different practitioners and agencies

Performance Criteria

You must be able to do the following:

1. establish the extent to which the individual requires their carer to be involved with the management of their condition, and obtain their informed consent whenever appropriate
2. establish a rapport with and respond sensitively to any issues raised
3. discuss with the carer the nature of the individual’s condition and how it will affect them
4. confirm with the carer their role and responsibilities, and agree the extent to which they should and wish to be involved in the management of the individual’s condition
5. be clear that the needs of the carer and the individual are important, and that any concerns relating to them should be addressed
6. discuss the amount, type and sources of information which the carer has already accessed
7. provide information that is relevant to the carers’ requirements, and be certain it is as accurate as possible within the context of what is known about the individual’s condition
8. identify sources of information that the carer can access to increase their understanding of the individual’s condition and to make informed choices
9. answer honestly any questions raised by the carer, and refer any questions that cannot be answered to the appropriate person
10. identify what type of support the carer require from the available services, and ensure that access to equipment and practitioners is facilitated
11. keep accurate, legible, and complete records, and comply with all the relevant legal, professional, and organisational requirements and guidelines

Additional Information

This National Occupational Standard was developed by Skills for Health. This standard links with the following dimension within the NHS Knowledge and Skills Framework (October 2004): Dimension: HWB4 Enablement to address health and wellbeing needs This standard has replaced LTCN5