An exploration of the experiences of carers of stroke survivors
Research type
Research Study
Full title
An exploration of the experiences of carers of stroke survivors, their unmet needs and the health, social and emotional consequences of caring across different time points: A qualitative study.
IRAS ID
166761
Contact name
Jessica F Hall
Contact email
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
Stroke remains a major illness with at least 900,000 people living in England who have had a stroke. Of the 80% of stroke survivors that are discharged home following admission to hospital, around 50-75% have severe disabilities that mean they are dependent on others for help with daily activities.
The risk of negative outcomes among carers has been illustrated previously, it has been reported that they span psychological, social and physical areas. Impaired quality of life is reported amongst carers up to three years post stroke, where predictors include their life situation and social networks.
Despite guideline recommendations for including carers within the rehabilitation process, there is limited evidence on when to intervene. Work by Cameron et al highlights the importance of addressing carers’ changing needs over time as a way of moving forward.
The study referred to is part of a PhD which seeks to develop an intervention to support carers of stroke survivors, with the emphasis on reducing carer burden. The PhD research will have three elements; a review, semi-structured interviews and a process of Intervention Mapping for the intervention development.
The proposed study refers to the interview study only, which will involve interviewing carers of stroke survivors and in some cases the stroke survivor to discuss with them the carers’ experiences, unmet needs and the factors that have influenced how they have managed in their daily lives.
An intervention will be developed as a result of the Intervention Mapping will include supporting materials and training programmes (for carers, stroke survivors and staff) using information obtained in this study.
REC name
Yorkshire & The Humber - Bradford Leeds Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
15/YH/0073
Date of REC Opinion
27 Feb 2015
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion