Can the Residential Care Transition Module improve the psychological health of family carers of people with dementia during the residential care placement process in Australia?

INTERVENTION: The psychosocial intervention is the Residential Care Transition Module (RCTM). Those allocated to the intervention group will be invited to participate in six individualised telephone‐ or video‐counselling sessions. These will be delivered by a trained Transition Counsellor (TC; registered counsellor or psychologist, masters level or above), using a detailed intervention protocol which includes the following components: 1) Processing the carer’s experience and helping to review and validate the decision to admit their relative into RAC. Assessment of individual needs and issues for future sessions. 2) Education about dementia and the RAC environment and procedures. 3) Discussion of communication skills to support effectively working with RAC staff to provide person‐centred care. 4) The impact of loss and anticipatory grief associated with the admission process, separation from a family member, and the progression of dementia. 5) Transition into new caregiving roles. 6) Any remaining residual emotional and cognitive dissonance. The TC will provide problem‐solving and coping strategies; psychological and emotional validation and support; and direction to community support and resources, as required. Each one‐hour session will be tailored to the participant’s needs. To establish rapport and minimise withdrawal, the first three sessions will be scheduled weekly if possible (weeks 1, 2, 3) and every three weeks thereafter (weeks 6, 9, 12). Ad‐hoc sessions will also be provided where necessary. If the carer’s relative with dementia dies during the intervention period, the TC will continue to offer the sessions to help facilitate the grief process. The intervention group will also receive printed information from Dementia Australia. The provision of CONDITION: Mental Health ‐ Anxiety Mental Health ‐ Depression stress;anxiety;guilt;grief;depression; ; stress ; anxiety ; guilt ; grief ; depression PRIMARY OUTCOME: Change in carer anxiety as measured by the Geriatric Anxiety Inventory (GAI).[Baseline, one month post‐intervention (four months post‐baseline)] Change in carer depression as measured by the Centre for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CESD).[Baseline, one month post‐intervention (four months post‐baseline).] Change in carer perceived stress as measured by the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS)[Baseline, one month post‐intervention (four months post‐baseline).] SECONDARY OUTCOME: Change in carer guilt as measured by the Caregiver Guilt Questionnaire (CGQ).[Baseline, one month post‐intervention (four months post‐baseline).] Change in carer pre‐death grief as measured by the Caregiver Grief Scale (CGS).[Baseline, one month post‐intervention (four months post‐baseline).] Change in the Support for Caring subscale of the Adult Carer Quality of Life Questionnaire (ACQOL).[Baseline, one month post‐intervention (four months post‐baseline).] INCLUSION CRITERIA: Any family member (related biologically or by marriage or choice) who is the primary carer of a person with dementia who has received approval from an Aged Care Assessment Team (ACAT) for permanent Residential Aged Care; Is English‐speaking with sufficient hearing ability to participate in counselling sessions; Is over 18 years of age.