Couples' approaches to changes in everyday life during the first year after stroke

Abstract

Aim: The aim of the study was to identify and describe two couples' approaches to changes in everyday life during the first year after a stroke. An additional aim was to describe how the couples viewed rehabilitation as well as their own personal training relative to changes in everyday life during the first year at home after stroke. Method: The study design was a prospective longitudinal case study based on two couples where one of the spouses in each couple had experienced a stroke. Data collection consisted of interviews and a questionnaire and took place in the participants' homes. Data analysis utilized a constant comparative method. Results: The findings showed a divergence in the couples' approaches to changes in their everyday life at home and were described through the following categorizations: engaging in occupations, getting experience and thereby feedback from doing, changing one's occupational needs and demands, contributing to a picture of a possible future and, integrating training in everyday life. Getting experience and feedback from doing was found to be a key category or “driver” in the change process. Conclusion: The couples' experiences of changes in everyday life after stroke illustrated two very divergent approaches, which is discussed in the paper. The approaches in turn had consequences for how daily life was spent after stroke which is also discussed.

Key words::

• Occupations
• activity
• occupational therapy
• rehabilitation
• CVA
• community dwelling
• older adults
• qualitative
• case study
• longitudinal

Acknowledgements

The researchers would like to thank the couples in this study for their generosity in opening their homes and sharing parts of their everyday lives. We would also like to acknowledge Melissa Park (OTR, PhD) for the contribution of conceptual and language comments of an earlier version of the article. The Swedish Association of Occupational Therapists, the Association of King Gustaf V: s and Queen Victorias Foundation, the Swedish Stroke Association, the Vårdal Foundation, Stockholm's Sjukhem Foundation, and the Health Care Sciences Postgraduate School, Karolinska Institutet, provided the finances required to conduct this study.

Declaration of interest: The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.