Impact of Stroke on Quality of Life of Stroke Survivors and Their Caregivers: A Qualitative Study from India

Abstract

Objectives Stroke is a significant global public health challenge attributable to an array of disabilities it causes alongside an impairment in cognition. The monetary impact of stroke care includes acute treatment expenses as well as outrageous expenses of postdischarge chronic hospital care and rehabilitation services. The current study aimed to study the perceptions along with experiences of stroke survivors and caregivers. Materials and Methods In-depth interviews (IDIs) of stroke survivors and their primary caregivers were conducted at their home 2 months after their discharge from the hospital in Bhopal, India. These IDIs were later analyzed. Results The following eight themes emerged: pervasive and irreversible, multifunction loss and dependency, holistic impact on the health of person and family, money and matter, nonaccommodative cost and baffled belief, professional paralysis, social crisis, and slow and obscured progress. The added obligation of taking care of a disabled stroke survivor along with adjusting their own lifestyle with financial apprehensions, worry about future, prolonged hours of care, and stress are major factors that increase the burden of the caregivers. Conclusion Caregivers should be sensitized with proper counseling and training through health care institutions to ensure appropriate care and management of stroke survivors at home, as it will also help in addressing their psychosocial needs, and minimizing the knowledge gap, doubts and uncertainties about the disease and its aftereffects.