Informal caregivers’ awareness regarding patients with hemiplegia

Abstract

Background: Hemiplegia is a condition, caused by brain injury that results in a varying degree of weakness, stiffness and lack of control in one side of the body. Aim to assess the informal caregivers’ knowledge, practice, attitude and health problems regarding patient with hemiplegia. Design: A descriptive research design was used in this study. Sample: A purposive sample equal (285) informal caregivers’ of patients with hemiplegia. Setting: This study was conducted in stroke outpatient clinic in 15 May hospital- Helwan-Egypt. Tools: One tool used interviewing questionnaire sheet composed of 5 parts;( demographic data of patient and informal caregivers’, knowledge of informal caregivers’ about hemiplegia, the reported practice of the informal caregivers’ about the hemiplegia, the attitude of informal caregivers’ about the hemiplegia and the informal caregivers’ health problems. Results: the study result revealed that 50% of the studied sample had poor knowledge, 40 % of the studied sample had satisfactory practice, 45.0% of them had negative attitude regarding patient with hemiplegia and 75.0% of caregivers complain of health problems.