Search

Purpose: Many individuals with stroke require informal caregiver support. These caregivers are often unprepared and overwhelmed. This study assesses the feasibility and acceptability of GETCare, a remote Goal-based Education and skills Training program for Caregivers caring for an individual poststroke., Design: Single-arm mixed-methods pilot trial was performed., Methods: The GETCare program is a 5-week remote, individually administered program for informal stroke caregivers that includes education, skills training, guided goal setting, and resource recommendations. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and qualitative data via a deductive approach., Results: Twenty-eight caregivers were recruited with 18 caregivers completing the program. These 18 caregivers reported high satisfaction, and over 75% reported program content was at least quite helpful. Caregivers suggested that the length of the program was appropriate, indicated that weekly check-ins were helpful, and supported this program for informal caregivers across the time trajectory poststroke. Eight of 10 caregivers who dropped out of the program were caring for someone 0-4 months poststroke., Conclusions: Caregivers positively received the GETCare program, which was uniquely structured to provide resources and skills for this high-need population. This pilot study provides valuable insight for future remote interventions poststroke., Clinical Relevance to Practice of Nursing: Results provide foundational knowledge in how to better support caregivers through guided goal setting and individualized education., (Copyright © 2022 Association of Rehabilitation Nurses.)

Purpose/objective: Perceptions of function can differ between persons with stroke and care partners. The current study described the frequency of discrepancy in ratings of poststroke functioning across romantic partners and examined associations between perceptions of function, depressive symptoms, and caregiver strain., Research Method/design: A secondary analysis was conducted using data from the baseline visit of an intervention pilot study. Twenty-nine dyads completed measures of perceived current functioning of the person with stroke (Stroke Impact Scale 3.0: overall percent recovery, ADL, and cognition), self-reported ratings of depressive symptoms for both partners (PROMIS Depression Short Form v8b), and self-reported caregiver strain for the care partners only (Caregiver Strain Index)., Results: A discrepancy of over 10 points on the SIS 3.0 variables was seen in over 50% of dyads for all subscales, with care partners rating worse recovery on average. Actor partner interdependence models showed that more depressive symptoms were associated with perceptions of worse overall recovery and ADL function in persons with stroke, whereas more depressive symptoms were associated with perceptions of worse cognitive and ADL function in care partners. Discrepancy in perception of ADL function was associated with more caregiver strain though this was inextricable from the overall level of impairment in ADL function perceived by the care partner., Conclusions/implications: These findings suggest that discrepancy in perceptions of stroke recovery among romantic partners is common. This underscores the importance of perception when considering risk for depression and caregiver strain as well as how to best promote psychological resilience following stroke. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Objective: Stroke provides challenges for survivors and partner caregivers. Stroke survivors and caregivers are interconnected in their emotional health, including depression, a common stroke sequelae. The purpose of this study was to develop and test the feasibility of a dyadic positive psychology-based intervention (PPI) for couples coping poststroke., Design: Community-dwelling couples consisted of 1 partner who had a stroke ≥6 months ago and a cohabiting partner caregiver. One or both partner(s) had to report depressive symptoms. The PPI consisted of 1 brief face-to-face training session and an 8-week self-administered intervention in which participants were instructed to engage in at least 2 activities alone and 2 together each week. Two dyads were randomly assigned to a waitlist control to test feasibility of this process. Baseline, postintervention, and 3-month follow-up assessments and post-program feedback were obtained. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze sample characteristics, recruitment and retention rates, adherence, key pre- and postintervention outcomes, and satisfaction with the intervention., Results: Eleven of 20 couples responding to recruitment letters were enrolled in the study. Ten of 11 dyads completed the program. All participants engaged in activities for at least 6 of 8 weeks. Feedback data indicated participant satisfaction with the intervention, and key outcome measures demonstrated adequate variability., Conclusions: The self-administered dyadic PPI is feasible for implementation with couples poststroke. The PPI represents a first step in a novel dyadic approach in this population. Recruitment, enrollment and attrition rates, and feedback will be used to inform a larger randomized trial. (PsycINFO Database Record, ((c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).)