Miscellaneous

BACKGROUND: Stroke, a disease with severe consequences for patients and their families, often lead to psychosocial stress, and a decline in the quality of life (QoL) among carers. Predicting the QoL is essential in the development of effective nursing support interventions.

AIM: The aim of the present study was to identify predicting factors for the general QoL among spouses of stroke patients, and to determine whether these predictors change during the first year after the patient's stroke event.

Background: Caregiver burden is a multidimensional response to many factors associated with providing assistance to people with multiple sclerosis (MS), including physical, psychological, emotional, and social stressors.

Objective: The aim of this analysis was to identify the characteristics of male informal caregivers, the assistance provided, and the people receiving assistance who were associated with the burden of care.

Personalised support arrangements are central to English adult social care policy and practice. The underpinning aim of enhancing choice and control over individual support arrangements can be traced back several decades, through campaigns by working age disabled people to receive cash direct payments rather than services; In Control’s promotion of self-directed support for learning disabled adults; the piloting of individual budgets; and the mainstreaming of personal budgets across adult social care.

Background: Informal caregivers provide a significant part of the total care needed by ill or disabled persons. Although informal care is often the preferred option of those who provide and those who receive informal care, caring can nevertheless be very straining. This study investigates construct validation of an instrument of the impact of caregiving, the CarerQol.

Background: The diagnosis of motor neurone disease (MND) has a profound effect on the functioning and well-being of both the patient and their family, with studies describing an increase in carer burden and depression as the disease progresses.

Aim: This study aimed to assess whether patient use of noninvasive ventilation (NIV) impacted on their family carer, and to explore other sources of carer burden.

The employment rates of both disabled people and those from minority ethnic groups are subject to substantial UK policy attention. In this paper we set out to enhance understanding of the relationship with the labour market for those living with long-term illness and their family members. We explore the role of family caring responsibilities and ethnicity in shaping patterns of employment participation. We do this by investigating the experiences of those from four different ethnic groups and using a mixed qualitative and quantitative approach.

Aims and objectives.  To explore the personal experiences of carers of stroke survivors and to elicit their views and opinions of what constitute the major issues and concerns of people in their situation.

Background.  The unexpected nature of stroke can propel people into the role of carer with little or no warning. Some carers of stroke survivors suffer from considerable stress and a range of psychological and physical disorders.

Design.  A small-scale qualitative study of experienced carers of stroke survivors.