Inadequate social or caregiver networks predict mortality and contribute to other poor healthcare outcomes [ 13, 14], including institutionalization [ 15, 16].
Based upon the caregiver networks' ability to manage each domain, an overall global risk score is then attributed to each adverse outcome.
Based upon severity of concern and the caregiver networks' ability to manage them, an overall global subjective assessment of risk score is then assigned to three adverse outcomes: institutionalisation, hospitalisation and death at 1 year from the date of assessment.
Participants had to: require acute but non-critical hospital care; have safe physical and social home environments; be medically and psychiatrically stable; have medical conditions that were manageable within the service limits of the HITH program and present minimal risk of needing care at night, have informal caregivers or caregiver networks available.
Given that frailty is a state of increased vulnerability [ 32], the RISC may act as a surrogate measure of this vulnerability, operationalising frailty as a risk of three important adverse outcomes: death, hospitalisation and institutionalisation within the context of the caregiver networks' ability to manage a patients' care.
In addition to recruiting through the NET website via a posted advertisement, strategic internet searches will also be undertaken to identify community-based organizations in each of the five provinces that provide services for our target population (e.g., local support groups, family caregiver networks).
The RISC incorporates mental state, ADLs and medical problems, in the context of the caregiver network.
During these contacts we will conduct semi-structured interviews and assess the caregiver network analysis with the patient.
Participation was thus a result of the counsellor's assessment of individual needs and preferences in collaboration with the participant's (patient, caregiver, network) wishes.
