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INFORMAL CAREGIVERS OF VETERANS POST STROKE
Project Number NRI 05-246 funded
by HSR&D.
April 1, 2006 -
March 31, 2008
Stroke is the leading cause of serious long-term disability in the United States (US) and over 4 million people are living with the effects of stroke [1,2,3]. Approximately 80,000 veterans are stroke survivors and it is estimated that between 9,000-11,000 veterans are hospitalized each year with a new stroke [4,5]. In addition, approximately 80% of stroke survivors are discharged home and live for at least five years post stroke shifting a large amount of continuing care to informal caregivers. A priority in the Veterans Health Affairs (VHA) is to improve the quality of life of veterans who are receiving long term care which includes home care. This study is the first in an ongoing program of research being conducted in partnership between the VA Rehabilitation Outcomes Research Center of Excellence (RORC) and the VA Stroke QUERI to develop research-based information on caregiver experiences and implement interventions to assist informal caregivers to prolong veterans with stroke living in their own homes for as long as possible. A plethora of research has documented that caregivers experience high levels of stress, burden and depression. However, no studies have examined positive aspects of stroke caregiving or caregivers' desire to institutionalize veterans post stroke. In response to the call for a “wholesale rethinking about caregiving to include positive aspects of caregiving,”[6] the primary focus of the proposed study is to better understand positive as well as negative aspects of informal stroke caregiving. A conceptual framework will be tested and refined to guide future intervention studies. Data collection is underway.
Long Term Objective: The long-term goal of this line of research is to support veteran stroke survivors to live independently in their own home and communities for as long as possible. Specific Aim 1. Determine the relationships between veteran and caregiver characteristics and positive and negative responses to stroke caregiving.
This two year study uses a telephone survey methodology to obtain data from 395 veteran/caregiver dyads in VISNs 8, 11, and 15 through a contract with the University of Florida Survey Research Center, a state of the art center, that is capable of completing this number of surveys within our projected time frame. Our investigative team will work closely with this center for successful training and completion of data collection, data management and development of complete datasets. We will refine the conceptual model using results from extensive statistical analyses testing hypotheses.
No findings or results to report at this time.
Data collection and preliminary data analyses.
Clinicians can use the results concerning factors that improve caregivers' positive response to caregiving and reduce burden, depression and injuries in designing evidenced-based patient education materials and treatment plans. Care coordinators and telehealth services can use findings to develop training modules and home-based tools to help caregivers. Health planners and administrators can use the results to allocate resources and develop future cost-effective programs. By understanding the determinants of outcomes, such as desire to institutionalize veterans, the VHS can design a monitoring and support system to promote independent living for veterans post stroke.
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