Abandoned to the strains of daily life: a qualitative study of the long-term experiences in partners to persons after a mild to moderate stroke

Abstract

Purpose: To describe the experiences of everyday life over 6 years after stroke, from the perspectives of partners to persons after stroke.

Materials and methods: Semi structured individual interviews were conducted with seven partners to persons who had had stroke. The interviews were recorded and then transcribed verbatim. The participants comprised two men and five women aged 60–82 years. The data were collected and analysed using a grounded theory approach.

Results: One core category Living in strained everyday circumstances and three categories Feelings of anxiety, Living a demanding day to day life, and Adjusting to a changed role emerged from the analysis. The participants had developed strategies and new ways to boost their energy level in order to find the strength needed for their everyday life.

Conclusion: This study shows that the everyday lives of partners to people who have had a stroke are characterised by feelings of strain and anxiety and that they need possibilities for different kinds of long-term support. Our findings may contribute to increased knowledge among health workers and increased readiness to offer support or referral to other meeting places such as peer support groups.

Implications for rehabilitation

• The everyday lives of partners to people who have had a stroke are characterised by feelings of strain and anxiety.

• Partners to people who have had a stroke need possibilities for different kinds of long-term support.

• Possibilities for relief among partners to persons after stroke may be organised for example within the municipality or by patient organisations and other voluntary networks such as peer support groups.

Keywords:

• Stroke
• partners
• qualitative study
• long-term
• experiences of strain
• anxiety
• demanding everyday life
• alone with responsibility

Disclosure statement

The authors report no conflicts of interest.

Additional information

Funding

Unrestricted financial support was provided through the regional agreement on medical training and clinical research between Stockholm County Council and the Karolinska Institutet (ALF) [grant number 20060700], and the Swedish Research Council [grant number 2013-2806].