Stroke

Purpose: The aim was to examine stroke patients’, carers’ and volunteer supporters’ experiences of peer support groups during hospital rehabilitation. Methods: Semi-structured interviews and questionnaires were analysed by inductive thematic analysis. Participants also answered a standardised Therapeutic Factors Inventory (TFI). Results: Five superordinate themes emerged for patients, carers and volunteer supporters.

Incontinence is a discrediting and stigmatising condition for those who experience it, as it signifies a person who is lacking in self-control. For their carers, the very nature of undertaking ‘dirty work’ signifies a low status and low paid job. Those health care professionals higher in status and financial reward put distance between themselves and bodywork, especially bodywork that deals with bodily decay. However, little is known or has been highlighted about the social consequences that living with and dealing with incontinence can have on informal carers.

The effects of stroke on families are considerable. Family members may struggle to adapt to a care-giving role, and relationships between stroke survivors and those closest to them are often altered by the illness. This article provides an overview of the effects of stroke on family dynamics and identifies interventions to support stroke survivors and their families during this difficult time.

Purpose. In this paper we aim to develop the understanding of what constitutes a ‘good’ or ‘poor’ experience in relation to the transition from hospital to home following a stroke.

Method. Semi-structured interviews were carried out with 20 people and 13 carers within one month of being discharged from hospital following a stroke. Interviews covered views of mobility recovery and support from therapy and services. Interviews were transcribed verbatim, coded and analysed in depth in order to explore the discharge process.

OBJECTIVE: To identify which caregivers of stroke patients living at home experience the highest levels of strain and are at risk of burn-out, and to investigate how support for caregivers of stroke patients could best be organized, and when this support should be offered.

Background.  Stroke is the third most common cause of death in industrialized countries and a major cause of adult disability. However, the burden of caring for stroke survivors usually rests with family members who have neither chosen nor volunteered for the role of ‘carer’.

Aims.  This paper reports on a study which aimed to describe the experience of caring for a stroke survivor at one year after stroke in Scotland.

The objective of this pilot Norwegian intervention study was to explore whether use of information and communication technology (ICT) by informal carers of frail elderly people living at home would enable them to gain more knowledge about chronic illness, caring and coping, establish an informal support network and reduce stress and related mental health problems.

To examine the effects of caregiver's burden, depression, and support on post-stroke depression (PSD), cross-sectional data were obtained from an epidemiologic survey of 225 stroke survivors and their caregivers living in Seoul, Korea. Multivariate analyses showed that, taking the clinical status of patients into account, caregiver's burden, depression and support were related to higher PSD. Perceived burden exerts adverse effects on PSD through its influence on the depression in caregivers.

BACKGROUND: Attention is currently focused on family care of stroke survivors, but the effectiveness of support services is unclear. We did a single-blind, randomised, controlled trial to assess the impact of family support on stroke patients and their carers.

Carers of stroke survivors face significant burdens, and increased carer strain has negative implications for both the stroke survivor and the carer. In a prospective cohort of White British and British Indian stroke survivors and their carers, we report the incidence of carer strain in each ethnic group, describe patient and carer characteristics, and identify predictors of increased carer strain. Multidimensional outcome measures were used to assess the physical and cognitive function in stroke survivors at one month and 3-6 months from stroke onset.