Kingston Caregiver Stress Scale (KCSS)
The Kingston Caregiver Stress Scale (KCSS) is primarily a scale used to monitor change in a family caregiver’s stress level over time. The scale is designed for community living lay caregivers, not institutional care staff.
Some caregiver stress scales try to determine how much stress caregivers “should” be experiencing by assigning stress values to caregiving activities. There is evidence that these group scores do not correlate well with how much stress an individual caregiver experiences. Also, the score for one person probably does not mean the same thing as the same score for another. The KCSS takes a more direct approach by asking how much stress the caregiver feels. The scale should be used to monitor change in an individual caregiver’s stress over time.
We have observed that caregivers can attribute their stress to different sources. Accordingly the KCSS consists of a set of ten questions that are grouped into 3 categories: care giving, family, and financial issues.
KCSS Administration and Interpretation Manual
KCSS Assessment Form
