Life situations and the care burden for stroke patients and their informal caregivers in a prospective cohort study
- Författare
- Olai L, Borgquist L, Svärdsudd K.
- Titel
- Life situations and the care burden for stroke patients and their informal caregivers in a prospective cohort study
- Utgivningsår
- 2015
- Tidskrift
- Ups J Med Sci.
- Volym
- 120
- Häfte
- 4
- Sidor
- 290-8
- Sammanfattning
BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to analyse whether the parallel life
situation between stroke patients and their informal caregivers (dyads) shown in
cross-sectional studies prevails also in a longitudinal perspective.
METHODS: A total of 377 Swedish stroke patients, aged ≥ 65 years, and their 268
informal caregivers were followed from hospital admission and one year on.
Analyses were based on patient interviews, functional ability (MMSE) score,
Nottingham Health Profile (NHP) score, Hospital Anxiety and Depression (HAD)
score, self-rated health score, and the Gothenburg Quality of Life (GQL) activity
score. Similar information was obtained by postal questionnaires from informal
caregivers, also including information on the nature and amount of assistance
provided and on Caregiver Burden (CB) score.
RESULTS: Before index admission informal caregivers provided care on average 5 h
per week and after discharge 11 h per week (P < 0.0001). Support volume was
associated with patient sex (more for men), low patient's functional ability, low
received municipal social service support, closeness of patient-caregiver
relation, and short distance to patient's home. Significant positive associations
within the dyads were found for HAD anxiety score (P < 0.0001), total NHP score
(P < 0.0001), and GQL activity score (P < 0.0001) after adjustment for patient's
age, sex, functional ability, and patient-caregiver relationship. CB score
increased with amount of informal caregiver support, patient's age, and with low
functional ability and low amount of municipal social service support. All these
associations were constant across time.
CONCLUSIONS: There was an association within the dyads regarding anxiety score,
NHP score, and activity score. CB score was generally high.