خلاصة:
Objectives: Many families in Iran fail to adapt to their new role of being a stroke caregiver and
experience high levels of distress; thus, they may need some form of support. The present study
aimed to develop a discharge planning program for the family caregivers of stroke patients in
Iran. We also determined the program efficacy on their level of stress and preparedness for
caregiving.
Methods: A post-test only randomized controlled trial design was conducted on 60 family
caregivers of stroke survivors. The study participants (n=30) in the experimental group received
a family caregiver-oriented discharge planning program consisting of 3 phases; assessing
families’ educational needs, educating families, and follow-up calls. The routine hospital care
was provided to the controls (n=30). The data were collected using Kingston Caregiver Stress
Scale and the Preparedness for Caregiving scale. Data were analyzed by SPSS.
Results: The level of preparedness for caregiving was significantly higher in the experimental
group. The experimental group experienced lower levels of stress, compared to the control
group members (P<0.001).
Discussion: To enhance family preparedness for caregiving and decrease their stress, it is
necessary to use a discharge planning program with an emphasis on individualized education
and post-discharge follow-up. This program could be implemented in Iranian hospitals at a low
cost. The findings of this study may provide a reference for specialist nurses who cope with
stroke caregivers in Iran.
ملخص الجهاز:
Camak (2015) [8] indicated that anxiety and depres-sion are prevalent complications among the family caregivers of stroke patients before and after hospital discharge; moreover, these psychological complica-tions are caused by the lack of caring preparedness and supportive organizations.
A study revealed that due to the lack of information about caregiving and rehabilitation, and the lack of sup-portive centers in the society, family caregivers experi-ence numerous problems in providing appropriate care for stroke survivors [10].
Therefore, the present study aimed to evaluate the effect of family caregiver-oriented discharge planning program on the level of preparedness for caregiving and stress experi-enced by the Iranian caregivers of stroke patients.
The reason to select a post-test only method was that stroke occurs suddenly; thus, it is illogical to assess the level of preparedness for caregiving and stress expe-rienced by the family of stroke survivors in the first 48 hours of stroke (time before the intervention).
After the stroke patients were discharged, the research-ers made weekly (or based on families’ needs), phone calls to the family caregivers.
The present study revealed providing a supportive pro-gram to the family members of stroke patients, including educational sessions based on the Adult Learning Theory can enhance preparedness for caregiving.
117 April 2019, Volume 17, Number 2 / ranian /ehabilitation /ournal Stress and burden negatively impact the caring and re-habilitation of stroke patients.
The results of this study suggested that educational support for the caregivers of stroke survivors can reduce their stress.