Training informal caregivers to care for older people after stroke: A quasi-experimental study.

AIMS: This study aimed at evaluating whether training on practical skills involved in providing care reduces the burden experienced by informal caregivers and improves their general health condition.

BACKGROUND: A substantial number of informal caregivers lack skills to deliver poststroke assistance to older people after hospital discharge, which leads to burden situations as well as mental and physical health deterioration of the former.

DESIGN: A quasi-experimental design.

METHODS: This study involved 174 informal caregivers of older people who overcame a stroke. The control group (N = 89) received the usual type of care delivered in healthcare units. The experimental group (N = 85) adopted the InCARE programme for 1 week (T0), 1 month (T1) and 3 (T2) months and received telephone support by counselling caregivers on the subsequent 3rd, 6th, 8th and 10th weeks to hospital discharge. It aimed at facilitating the caregiver's adjustment to the demands of a poststroke stage and at increasing knowledge and practical skills to support the decision-making. Data collection occurred between February-December 2014 at the Community Home Care Services in northern Portugal.

RESULTS: The experimental group obtained significantly better results regarding practical skills as well as lower burden levels and a better general mental health condition when compared with the control group 1 (T1) and 3 (T2) months after intervention.

CONCLUSION: Findings suggest that our programme improved practical skills, helped reduce burden levels with better scores and improvement regarding general mental health condition of informal caregivers.