Introduction Family carers provide vital support for people with Motor Neurone Disease (MND) but caregiving can be very physically and mentally demanding. It is therefore crucial to ensure healthcare practitioners (HCPs) can provide timely support to carers fitting their individual needs. Currently there are no UK interventions for this.

Aim To adapt an existing carer support needs assessment tool (CSNAT) intervention to support the needs and situation of family carers of people with MND.

Methods Stages:

1. Focus groups and interviews with 33 carers (14 bereaved 19 current carers) to capture support needs key points of change during patient’s illness and main support services.

2. Workshops with HCPs (N=17 recruited to date) and carer advisors (N=19) to inform materials and procedures for MND carer assessment and support.

Results Stage 1: Carers’ experience was one of dealing with a devastating diagnosis a constantly changing situation with heavy dependence on them as carers and with little consideration of their separate support needs. Carers’ support needs mainly mapped onto CSNAT domains but MND carers may experience relationship issues warranting further consideration. Stage 2 will integrate HCP and carers’ views on when where how and by whom MND carer assessment and support should best be provided.

Conclusions Findings to be presented from Stages 1 and 2 will provide insights into how MND carers want to be assessed and supported. This will form the basis for an intervention to be tested in a future Stage 3 feasibility study.

Funder Marie Curie Research Fund/Motor Neurone Disease Association