Caregiver strain check-in: how heavy is the load this month?
Twelve statements about the last month. Answer how often each has been true for you. The page adds them up, says plainly whether you are carrying more than last month, and points to respite and carer-support lines. It is your own answers, totalled; not a test for burnout and not a diagnosis.
What the total means
| Total | Reads as | What to do with it |
|---|---|---|
| 0–12 | Lighter load | Keep the breaks you already take. Check in again next month. |
| 13–24 | Moderate load | Name one thing someone else could take on this month, and ask. |
| 25–36 | Heavy load | Arrange regular respite now, and tell your doctor how you are doing. |
| 37–48 | Very heavy load | You need help this week, not this quarter. Call a carers' line below today. |
The bands are plain groupings of your total, not clinical cut-offs. The more useful signal is change: a total six or more points higher than last month means the load has really grown, whatever the band.
Where to find respite and carer support
These are national lines and directories run by established organisations. Local councils, Area Agencies on Aging, memory clinics and the person's care team can point to respite nearby.
| Where | Who | How |
|---|---|---|
| United States | Alzheimer's Association 24/7 Helpline | 800-272-3900 · alz.org/help-support/caregiving |
| United States | ARCH National Respite Locator | archrespite.org |
| United States | Family Caregiver Alliance | caregiver.org · Eldercare Locator 800-677-1116 |
| United Kingdom | Alzheimer's Society Dementia Support Line | 0333 150 3456 · alzheimers.org.uk/get-support |
| United Kingdom | Carers UK | carersuk.org · ask your council for a carer's assessment |
| Canada | Alzheimer Society of Canada | alzheimer.ca/en/help-support |
| Australia | Dementia Australia Helpline | 1800 100 500 · dementia.org.au/support |
| Australia | Carer Gateway | 1800 422 737 · carergateway.gov.au |
Numbers and links checked 2026-10-17. If one has changed, tell us at dev@adelyons.com.
Why a monthly check-in and not a one-off quiz
Caregiver strain builds slowly and most people stop noticing it. A quiz answered once tells you where you are; the same twelve questions answered monthly tell you where you are going, which is the thing that can be acted on early. The questions cover the areas caregiver-burden research keeps finding: time for yourself, competing demands, tension, relationships, health, privacy, social life, control, worry, and the feeling that you should do more or do better.
Frequently asked questions
Is this a caregiver burnout test?
It is a check-in, not a test: twelve statements about the last month, each answered never to nearly always, added up and grouped as a lighter, moderate, heavy or very heavy load. It does not diagnose burnout, depression or anything else. If the load reads heavy, that is a reason to talk to your doctor or a carers’ line, not a verdict.
Is this the Zarit Burden Interview?
No. The Zarit Burden Interview is a licensed research instrument and is not reproduced here. Anchorly’s twelve statements are its own wording over the same areas caregiver-burden research keeps finding. Our guide to the Zarit Burden Interview explains what it is and how it is used.
What is a normal caregiver stress score?
There is no normal. The total is only useful compared with your own earlier totals: six points or more higher than last month is a real change, and that is what the check-in flags. A heavy or very heavy load at any time is a reason to ask for help.
What counts as respite?
Any planned break from caring: a sitter for an afternoon, a day programme, a short stay in a care home, a family member taking a weekend. Respite is part of how care lasts for years, not a failure.
Keep it over time in Anchorly
Anchorly keeps this check-in month by month on your phone and tells you plainly when the load has grown, next to the ten-second daily check-in and the wellbeing trend. The month-to-month history is part of Anchorly+.
Free, no account, works offline. Your loved one's information stays on the phone.
Sources and wording
- Bédard M, Molloy DW, Squire L, Dubois S, Lever JA, O'Donnell M. The Zarit Burden Interview: a new short version and screening version. The Gerontologist 2001;41(5):652–657. The twelve areas above follow the domains that paper and later caregiver-burden studies identify; the statements are Anchorly's own and the Zarit instrument, which is licensed through the Mapi Research Trust, is not reproduced.
- Adelman RD, Tmanova LL, Delgado D, Dion S, Lachs MS. Caregiver burden: a clinical review. JAMA 2014;311(10):1052–1060.
- Alzheimer's Association, Caregiver health; NHS, Carer breaks and respite care.
Last reviewed 2026-10-17.
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