Demands of family caregivers of stroke patients during discharge transition

Background: Family caregiver is the one who provide 24-hour vigilance at home for stroke patients. Understanding caregivers’ demands and burdens are important for nurses to develop appropriate care plans in advance. Objectives: The purposes of this study was to explore needs and its influential factors among caregivers of stroke patients during discharge transition.。Methods: A descriptive survey research was used in this study . Data were collected in the neurological and neurosurgical units of a municipal hospital in Northern Taiwan. Structured questionnaires, including demographic and demands, were used to interview caregivers of stroke patients before discharge. Results: Sixty-two caregivers were recruited in this study.“Need spare time for personal”, “Need a break from caring responsibility”, and “need attentive calls and encouragement ” were the three leading demands among caregivers before discharge. There are no significant differences in the total demands among different patients’and caregivers’ demographic information. Caregivers expected family members and hired attendants to help in caring responsibilities, mainly in direct care, most. Other human resources were relatives, friends , and neighbors, respectively. Caregivers expected them to provide economic, religious, and social supports. Conclusions: Caring skills and related information about community resources should be provided for caregivers of stroke patients before discharge from hospital