CAREGIVERS BURDEN OF PATIENTS 3 YEARS AFTER STROKE ASSESSED BY A NOVEL CAREGIVER BURDEN SCALE

Objective: To assess burden of caregivers to stroke patients three yea r after a primary stroke and to test validity and reliability of a nov el caregiver burden scale (CB scale). Design: A longitudinal community -based 3-year follow-up study of 35 consecutive primary stroke patient s initially admitted to an Acute Medical Unit (mean age 82 yr). The va lidity of the CB scale was studied in 150 patients (mean age 77 yr):83 demented outpatients assessed for need of group living and 67 outpati ents with stroke from a general geriatric day-care unit. Reliability w as studied in another 23 outpatients (mean age 72 yr) with stroke from the same unit. Methods: A 22-item CB scale for different types of car egiver burden and scales for neuroticism and extroversion (Eysenck Per sonality Inventory) and quality of Life (Ii-item scale). Activities of daily life were assessed by a 6-item scale, initially and 3 years lat er. Outcome Measure: Reliability and validity of the CB scale. Improve ments of activities of daily life of stroke patients. Results: Factor analyses of the CB scale gave five indices-general strain, isolation, disappointment, emotional involvement, and environment-having good kap pa values, .89 to 1.00 and Cronbach's alpha, .70 to .87, except for en vironment. A higher burden was related to a closer relationship but no t to the living situation. The highest caregiver burden was found amon g patients showing the greatest improvements of ADL, when divided into tertiles. The patient's degree of extroversion and quality of life we re negatively correlated to caregiver burden, .46 (p < .05) and .59 (p < .01). Conclusions: The CB scale proved to be a valid and reliable i nstrument to assess caregiver burden. To improve the caregiver situati on, individual patient personality characteristics, like extroversion, feeling of quality of life, and progression of the disease, must be c onsidered. (C) 1996 by the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicin e and the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.