Exploring Caregiving Skills Required for Family Caregivers of Patients with Stroke Living at Home

抄録

Background: Caregiving skills for the family members of patients with stroke are considered important in rehabilitation wards. However, few studies have clarified the specific caregiving skills and instructional content required by family caregivers of patients with stroke.

Purpose: This study aimed to clarify the caregiving skills required by family caregivers of patients with stroke, as Study 1, and to examine the validity of the content, as Study 2.

Methods: In Study 1, six skilled therapists (occupational and physical therapists) practicing with patients with stroke and three family caregivers of homebound patients with stroke were interviewed. Data were analyzed using qualitative inductive analysis. In Study 2, a questionnaire was administered to the therapists and family caregivers using the Delphi method. These were administered twice. 65 family caregivers and therapists responded to the first questionnaire and 58 responded to the second.

Results: 20 skills were extracted and classified into 11 categories in Study 1. The classifications included: environmental adjustment, motivation, body stabilization, body positioning, risk prediction, activity promotion, procedures, ingenuity (trial and error), tool use, communication, and confirmation. Study 2 confirmed the content validity of all 20 caregiving skills.

Conclusions: These results indicate that it is important to provide care skills to family members of patients with stroke for them to live safely at home, not only from a physical aspect, but also from various viewpoints, such as cognitive, mental, and material environments.