“Caregiving is a full‐time job” impacting stroke caregivers' health and well‐being: A qualitative meta‐synthesis

Abstract

Family caregivers contribute to the sustainability of healthcare systems. Stroke is a leading cause of adult disability and many people with stroke rely on caregiver support to return home and remain in the community. Research has demonstrated the importance of caregivers, but suggests that caregiving can have adverse consequences. Despite the body of qualitative stroke literature, there is little clarity about how to incorporate these findings into clinical practice. This review aimed to characterise stroke caregivers' experiences and the impact of these experiences on their health and well‐being. We conducted a qualitative meta‐synthesis. Four electronic databases were searched to identify original qualitative research examining stroke caregivers' experiences. In total, 4,481 citations were found, with 39 studies remaining after removing duplicates and applying inclusion and exclusions criteria. Articles were appraised for quality using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP), coded using NVivo software, and analysed through thematic synthesis. One overarching theme, ‘caregiving is a full‐time job’ was identified, encompassing four sub‐themes: (a) restructured life, (b) altered relationships, (c) physical challenges, and (d) psychosocial challenges. Community and institution‐based clinicians should be aware of the physical and psychosocial consequences of caregiving and provide appropriate supports, such as education and respite, to optimise caregiver health and well‐being. Future research may build upon this study to identify caregivers in most need of support and the types of support needed across a broad range of health conditions.

Perceived health, caregiver overload and perceived social support in family caregivers of patients with Alzheimer’s: Gender differences

“…Focusing on social support, the score for the sub‐dimension social dysfunction in perceived health is high, which means that the caregivers’ perception of emotional well‐being has been affected, as discussed in other studies (Campos‐Puente et al., 2019; Kokorelias et al., 2020). Nonetheless, the score for perceived social support is high.…”

Factors affecting in‐hospital cost and mortality of patients with stroke: Evidence from a case study in a tertiary hospital in China

“…Stroke patients who are divorced or whose spouses need to go out to work to make a living need to be cared for by their living parents. The physical and mental health and living status of caregivers determine the quality of life and prognosis of patients, but studies pay more attention to elderly stroke patients and their spouses, and there are few reports from other caregivers 40–42 . Recent studies showed that caregiving burden was predominantly shouldered by female caregivers.…”

“…The physical and mental health and living status of caregivers determine the quality of life and prognosis of patients, but studies pay more attention to elderly stroke patients and their spouses, and there are few reports from other caregivers. [40][41][42] Recent studies showed that caregiving burden was predominantly shouldered by female caregivers. Caregivers faced physical, psychological, and socioeconomic burden.…”

Personal and social factors that influence physical activity levels in community-dwelling stroke survivors: A systematic review of qualitative literature

“…17 The CASP is a commonly used tool in appraising the quality of qualitative research, 18 and has been used previously in qualitative stroke research. 19,20 This 10-item checklist assesses three domains: validity, results and relevance to practice. All reviewers met to orientate themselves to the CASP tool, it’s rules and instructions prior to commencing quality assessment to ensure consistency and accuracy of use.…”