Home About us Contact
|
Home About us Contact | ||
|
|
||
Stroke Recovery (stroke + recovery)
Selected AbstractsEffectiveness of Supportive Educative Learning programme on the level of strain experienced by caregivers of stroke patients in ThailandHEALTH & SOCIAL CARE IN THE COMMUNITY, Issue 1 2010R. Oupra RN MSc MNS PhD Abstract In Thailand, the crude death rate from stroke is 10.9/100 000 population and increasing. Unlike Western countries where community rehabilitation programmes have been established to provide services following the acute stage of stroke recovery, there is no stroke rehabilitation team in the community in Thailand. Therefore, family caregivers are the primary source for ongoing care and support. While family members accompany patients during their hospitalisation, they receive little information about how to assist their relatives, and as a result feel inadequately trained, poorly informed and dissatisfied with the support that is available after discharge. Family caregivers report that they suffer both physically and psychologically and find themselves overwhelmed with strain, experiencing burden and exhaustion. This study aimed to develop and implement a nurse-led Supportive Educative Learning programme for family caregivers (SELF) of stroke survivors in Thailand and to evaluate the effect of the SELF programme on family caregiver's strain and quality of life. This was a non-randomised comparative study with concurrent controls, using a two-group pre-test and post-test design. A total of 140 stroke survivors and 140 family caregivers were recruited; 70 patients/caregiver pair in each group. Caregivers of patients admitted to the intervention hospital following an acute stroke received the intervention, while caregivers of patients admitted to the comparison hospital received the usual care provided at the hospital. The data were collected prior to discharge of the patients and after 3 months. The family caregivers in the intervention group had a significantly better quality of life than the comparison group (GHQ-28 at discharge t = 2.82, d.f. = 138, P = 0.006; and at 3 months t = 6.80, d.f. = 135, P < 0.001) and they also reported less strain (Caregiver Strain Index at discharge t = 6.73, d.f. = 138, P < 0.001; and at 3 months t = 7.67, d.f. = 135, P < 0.001). This research demonstrated that providing education and support to the family caregiver of stroke survivors can reduce caregiver strain and enhance their quality of life. [source] The trajectory of minor stroke recovery for men and their female spousal caregivers: literature reviewJOURNAL OF ADVANCED NURSING, Issue 6 2007Theresa L. Green Abstract Title.,The trajectory of minor stroke recovery for men and their female spousal caregivers: literature review Aim., This paper is a report of a narrative review to examine the current state of knowledge regarding the impact of minor stroke on male patients and their female spousal caregivers' recovery trajectory and quality of life. Background., Minor stroke survivors are often discharged early in the recovery process. The perception of the healthcare community that these patients and their female spousal caregivers will experience an uneventful recovery may lead to inadequate preparation for the postdischarge period. Methods., A range of databases was searched to identify papers addressing ,minor stroke', ,transitions', ,quality of life', ,chronic disease', ,caregivers' and ,spouse caregivers', including AARP Ageline, AMED, CINAHL, Evidence Based Medicine Reviews, MEDLINE and PsychInfo. Papers published in English from 1990 to December 2006 were included. Thirty-four papers were in the final data set. Results., Minor stroke survivors and their female spousal caregivers may experience major challenges in adaptations postdischarge. The trajectory of minor stroke recovery may necessitate a re-evaluation of life plans, rethinking of priorities and integration of resulting disabilities into current and emerging life situations for both stroke survivors and their female spousal caregivers. In many cases these adaptations are compounded by transitions associated with the normal ageing process. Conclusion., While there is extensive literature on stroke recovery and the role of caregivers in general, there is little available describing the recovery of minor stroke survivors in relation to the normal ageing process. Further research is needed examining recovery from a transitional perspective, to support nurses and other health professionals discharge planning. [source] A review of the early discharge experiences of stroke survivors and their carersJOURNAL OF CLINICAL NURSING, Issue 18 2008Jan Pringle Aims and objectives., Understanding the experiences of stroke patients and their carers during the early days following discharge from hospital is an important aspect of providing appropriate care during this crucial time. Background., Due to the diverse changes that can result from a stroke, adjustment to returning home may raise many issues for those involved. A review of research was undertaken with the aim of identifying what is already known about experiences at this time. Design., Systematic review. Method., Search of electronic databases. Results., The review revealed that recognition of the impact of stroke on patients and carers is improving, with many studies focussing on the longer-term aspects of stroke recovery. Research into the early discharge experiences of stroke patients and/or their carers is often limited to retrospective, longitudinal studies. With the continuing shift towards care in the community, patients and carers can increasingly expect more recovery to be taking place at home at an even earlier stage. Earlier discharge may have important implications for those involved. The review also highlighted that patients with aphasia have frequently been excluded from stroke research and that social roles are important aspects in stroke recovery. Conclusions., To prepare patients and carers better for the impact of returning home, further research is needed into their experiences at this significant time, particularly in the UK. There is also a need to facilitate the inclusion of those with aphasia in stroke research. Relevance to clinical practice., An improved understanding of the issues facing stroke patients and carers during their early days at home should facilitate the preparation for discharge in the hospital setting and allow more focussed follow-up services in the community. [source] Repairing the human brain after stroke: I. Mechanisms of spontaneous recoveryANNALS OF NEUROLOGY, Issue 3 2008Steven C. Cramer MD Stroke remains a leading cause of adult disability. Some degree of spontaneous behavioral recovery is usually seen in the weeks after stroke onset. Variability in recovery is substantial across human patients. Some principles have emerged; for example, recovery occurs slowest in those destined to have less successful outcomes. Animal studies have extended these observations, providing insight into a broad range of underlying molecular and physiological events. Brain mapping studies in human patients have provided observations at the systems level that often parallel findings in animals. In general, the best outcomes are associated with the greatest return toward the normal state of brain functional organization. Reorganization of surviving central nervous system elements supports behavioral recovery, for example, through changes in interhemispheric lateralization, activity of association cortices linked to injured zones, and organization of cortical representational maps. A number of factors influence events supporting stroke recovery, such as demographics, behavioral experience, and perhaps genetics. Such measures gain importance when viewed as covariates in therapeutic trials of restorative agents that target stroke recovery. Ann Neurol 2008;63:272,287 [source] | ||||||||||