Assessment of individual needs involves a realistic appraisal of cognitive and physical disabilities. In assessing individual needs, advice can be sought from a range of sources. A comprehensive neurological and neuropsychological assessment is a good start in obtaining information about the disability and implications of impairment.

Assess your own needs and the needs of the family

Equally important is the assessment of your own needs, your family's needs and any other responsibilities. Some questions to ask yourself are:

• What are my present commitments? - social, work, family and community.
• What are my children's needs?
• What stressors exist in the family at present?
• What are my children dependent on me for?
• What are my partner's needs?
• What are the needs of my relationship? - privacy, time and holidays.
• What needs do I have? - social, time off, peace and quiet.

Assess available resources - yours and the family's

• What personal resources do I have to bring to the caring situation?
• What are my strengths?
• What am I good at?
• What do I have to offer the person with ARBI?
• What knowledge do I have about ARBI?
• What information do I have on caring for an individual with ARBI?
• What support can the family offer?
• How willing are the children to help?
• Will my family take on some responsibility to give me time off?

Assess available resources - external

• What community resources are available to help? For example, day centres, respite care, or home help.
• What support is available to me? For example, friends, family, professional help.
• What financial assistance is available?
• Are there other carers I can talk to?

Gathering information and advice

Advice is available before, or in the early stages after, a decision to care for a person with ARBI at home is made. It is often not until you have been caring from some time that this information becomes meaningful, and that you have many questions to ask. It is useful to make a list of problems and questions as they occur and be active in seeking advice from a range of sources.

Caring for a person with ARBI is an ongoing learning process for all involved.

• Read this entire information
• Speak to your local doctor
• Speak to a professional with expertise in ARBI

Monitoring and evaluating

Monitoring and evaluating the impact of caring on all involved is an important process that will continue as long as the caring situation does.
Some questions to ask are:

• What impact has caring had on my health? - physical and psychological
• What impact has it had on my family's health?
• What impact has it had on family relationships?
• How have roles of family members changed now?
• What impact has it had on the person with ARBI?
• What impact has it had on my relationship with the person?
• How does the person perceive the caring situation?
• How has my and my family's life changed?
• What is different about life now?
• What things have slipped since we started caring?
• What haven't we had time or energy for?