Elderly peoples’ experience of nursing care after a stroke: from a gender perspective

Abstract

Title. Elderly peoples' experience of nursing care after a stroke: from a gender perspective. Aim. This paper is a report of a study conducted to explore, from a gender perspective, older people's experiences of nursing care after a stroke. Background. Little attention has been given to gender differences in nursing care. The majority of people who have a stroke are older. Improving knowledge of the gender perspectives of older men and women regarding nursing care after stroke is crucial.Method. This was a qualitative study based on interviews with five women and five men between 66 and 75 years of age, who had received nursing care at a ward for stroke rehabilitation. The data were collected in 2006. Qualitative content analysis of the interviews was carried out. Findings. A main theme and five categories, all common to both men and women, were identified. The main theme, to promote recovery of the body, encompassed the categories. There were, however, gender differences in how the nursing care received was experienced. The ways patients experienced nursing care seemed to be linked with their lives as women and men before they had the stroke. Their perceptions are linked with their lives as women and men before they had their stroke. Both men and women will reclaim former abilities but what they perceive to be the goals of nursing care and rehabilitation may differ. Conclusion. Nurses need to increase their awareness and knowledge concerning the similarities and gender differences in the experiences and needs of older people, both men and women.

To provide care and be cared for in a multiple‐bed hospital room

“…Nurses described male patients as being more open-minded than female patients when it came to bodily functions. This, however, is in contrast to a study on stroke patients, where men felt more vulnerable than women about needing bodily care (33). Some nurses in the present study indicated that they had a preference for the men's rooms.…”

Uncovering Treatment Burden as a Key Concept for Stroke Care: A Systematic Review of Qualitative Research

“…Settings of studies: community (n=34) [7],[52],[55]–[58],[60],[61],[63],[69],[71],[73],[75],[80],[83],[85]–[88],[90]–[94],[96],[99]–[101],[106],[110],[115]–[117],[119]; outpatient (n=5) [54],[62],[65],[74],[118]; care homes (n=3) [111]–[113]; hospital (n=6) [59],[68],[72],[81],[104],[107]; stroke units (n=8) [64],[66],[67],[76],[78],[79],[89],[95]; stroke medical centre (n=1) [108]; and mixed setting such as hospital and community (n=12) [53],[70],[77],[82],[84],[97],[98],[102],[103],[105],[109],[114]. Gender of participants: males and females (n=56) [7],[52],[53],[55]–[57],…”

“…Personal goals appear to commonly be focussed on reaching a former social status or role within the family [53],[54],[58],[96],[101]. One study reports that goal setting varies between men and women, with women focussing on resuming tasks within the home and men concentrating on the accomplishment of tasks outside the home environment [59]. Many patients describe a lack of support from health services for this stage and therefore take responsibility and initiative for their own care, drawing on former life skills to plan and organise their recovery [54],[66],[83],[91],[112].…”

“…Patients arrange social care [70],[71],[110] and describe relying heavily on family members for emotional and practical support when managing their stroke [7],[57],[59],[69],[70],[77],[80],[82],[83],[92],[93],[100]–[102],[107],[110]–[112],[115],[118],[119]; one study suggests this is particularly the case for women [59]. Aphasic patients describe using carers to help them with their communication [69],[102].…”

“…Two studies made gender comparisons of the patient experience of managing stroke [59],[62], but little information was provided to allow comparisons based on other patient characteristics such as age, ethnicity, and socio-economic deprivation. Differences, if any, associated with such patient characteristics should be considered further, especially in relation to the development of any patient-reported outcome measure of treatment burden.…”