Discharge Planning of Stroke Patients: the Relatives’ Perceptions of Participation

Abstract

Clinicians should give more attention to the altered situation of stroke patients' relatives when planning for continuing care and when setting postdischarge goals for the patients. The professionals need to develop strategies to involve relatives in sharing information, goal-setting and needs assessment in discharge planning.

The relatives’ voice: how do relatives experience participation in reablement? A qualitative study

“…The relatives in our study expected more information from the reablement team than what was given. These findings are confirmed by several researchers,10,12,16,28,29 who argue that how the role as the relative in health care is handled is strongly associated with the opportunity to obtain information. Studies by Glendinning et al19 and Wilde and Glendinning2 revealed that family caregivers felt more confident in their caring responsibilities when information about the management of daily routines was passed on from the reablement team and when advice related to their own needs was given.…”

Family Caregivers and Consumer Health Information Technology

“…26,27 Breakdowns in communication are common when patients are discharged from one setting to another, such as from the hospital to home. 28 Because family members and friends often bridge settings alongside patients, 26,29 timely access to accurate information about the patient's health and discharge plan could improve transitional care 30 and help avert risky or redundant diagnostic procedures when a patient is incapacitated and unable to communicate.…”

“…Many people with chronic and disabling conditions co-manage or delegate health management activities to others. 31,32 However, family members and close friends are often not aware of patients' specific health issues, treatment recommendations, or care goals and consequently may not know how to best support lifestyle and medication treatment regimen adherence 29,32,33 or decision-making preferences. 34,35 Consumer health information technology is increasingly being used to engage patients in chronic and preventive care.…”

A National Profile of Family and Unpaid Caregivers Who Assist Older Adults With Health Care Activities

“…1,2 Almost 8 million older adults with significant disabilities live in the community with help from family and unpaid caregivers (family caregivers). 3,4 Older adults' family caregivers not only provide most assistance with everyday activities 3,5 but also help with a range of health care activities, such as physician visits, 6,7 transitions between settings of care, 8,9 medical decisions, 10,11 and medical tasks, such as injections, medication management, and wound care. 12 Because family caregivers are not systematically identified or routinely assessed in health care delivery, 13–15 little is known about the degree to which they assist with health care activities or about the nature of caregiving-related effects they may experience.…”