Stroke: an exploration of the experience of informal caregiving

Objective: To explore the experience of caregiving in informal carers of st roke patients. Design: The research approach was qualitative. Data were collected one year after the stroke occurred using a semi-structured interview. The audio-tap ed interviews were transcribed and following this process were analysed the matically using constant comparative procedures. Setting: West of Scotland. Subjects: Twenty-two informal carers of stroke patients. Results: The results are presented under the headings: Preparation for disc harge/feelings about discharge; The early weeks/months at home; A year of c aring; and The future. The main themes identified within these broad areas were as follows: physical preparation; emotional support; the supply of inf ormation and advice; and the provision of appropriate services (both social and health service provision). Conclusions: The data gathered in this small-scale study suggest that the p hysical and emotional toll associated with caregiving was great. Unfortunat ely, the help and support provided by the health and social services was of ten inadequate, inappropriate and poorly tailored to their individual needs . There was little evidence of a seamless flow of care between the secondar y and primary care settings.