Improving unpaid carers’ involvement in and experience of the frailty pathway: a pilot study using an unpaid carer experience measure

There is a recognised need to involve unpaid carers when the person they care for is being discharged or transferred from hospital. However, this involvement is often overlooked, which can delay discharge and impact patient and unpaid carer experiences. This quality improvement project aimed to improve the involvement and experience of unpaid carers for patients on the frailty pathway at a university health board hospital in Wales. The project took an appreciative inquiry approach and used the Model for Improvement to undertake plan-do-study-act cycles, conducting small tests of change. Improvement tools such as process maps and fishbone diagram were used to define the problem. Baseline patient data were analysed, along with survey data from unpaid carers and ward staff. A total of 88 patient records were reviewed and over half of unpaid carers were identified within 12 hours of patient admission. An unpaid carer experience measure was trialled, with only 39% of those surveyed reporting being continually involved in discharge planning, and staff indicating the need for more training and better communication across the organisation and with key stakeholders. Further research is needed to test and evaluate the wider use of the unpaid carer experience measure.