Abstract
Introduction and aim: Many caregivers of stroke patients experience a high burden. This study aims to describe the course of burden in individual caregivers in the first year after stroke.
Methods: This study is part of the Stroke Cohort Outcomes of REhabilitation study, a multicentre, longitudinal cohort study including consecutive stroke patients admitted to two rehabilitation facilities. Caregivers were asked to complete the Caregiver Strain Index and questions on their sociodemographic characteristics 6 and 12 months post admission. Patients’ sociodemographic and clinical characteristics were extracted from medical records.
Results: A total of 129 caregivers were included, 72 completed the Caregiver Strain Index twice. Of them, 19 (26.4%) were men, median age 59 (range 27–78) years. A consistently high or low burden was reported by 15 (20.8%) and 49 (68.1%), respectively, whereas 8 (11.1%) reported a high burden at either 6 (n = 3) or 12 months (n = 5).
Discussion: In the majority of caregivers of stroke patients the perceived caregiver burden is consistent over time. However, as in 11.1% caregiver burden changes from 6 to 12 months, caregiver burden should be measured repeatedly until 12 months after stroke. Caregivers living together with a patient who suffered a haemorrhagic stroke seem to be more at risk for a high burden.
Many caregivers of stroke patients experience a high burden.
The Caregiver Strain Index score at 6 months is a good predictor for the score at 12 months.
In some caregivers the high burden is not yet present at 6 months, therefore monitoring caregiver burden throughout the first year after stroke seems warranted.
Caregivers living together with a patient who suffered a haemorrhagic stroke seem to be more at risk for a high burden.
Implications for rehabilitation
Keywords:
Acknowledgements
We thank Betsy Nieuwhof and Inke van Braak for their contribution to the inclusion of patients and caregivers for the collection of data, and we are grateful to Stéphanie van der Pas and Gerard Volker for their advice in the statistical analyses.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.