The effect of a nurse led supportive educative learning program for family caregivers (SELF) on outcomes for stroke survivors and the family carers in Thailand.

Abstract

Complications due to stroke account for a significant proportion of admissions to medical wards in Thailand. Unlike western countries where community rehabilitation programs have been established to provide services following the acute stage of stroke recovery, there is no stroke rehabilitation team in the community and family care givers are the primary source of ongoing care and support. This research was a comparative study with concurrent controls, using a two-group pre-test and post test design. The aims of this study were to develop and implement a nurse led supportive educative learning program for care givers of stroke survivors, and to evaluate outcomes for patients and their carers. The study demonstrated that providing education and support to the family caregiver of stroke survivors does benefit both the survivors and caregiver by empower carers to make decisions about the care they provide which has a follow on effect of reducing care stress and burden. It is recommended that programs to provide carers with skills and knowledge to assume an active and therapeutic role in the management of family members who suffer a stroke be established and appropriately supported. Furthermore, implementing this research in other regions of Thailand is recommended.

Date of Award	2007
Original language	English