FRIDAY, May 8 (HealthDay News) -- Though caring for a stroke survivor can be challenging, many family members doing just that say they experience little or no stress and actually find the task personally rewarding, U.S. researchers have found.
The study included 75 people who were caring for a family member who'd had a stroke eight to 12 months earlier. About 53 percent were caring for a spouse, 31 percent were looking after a child, and 16 percent were caregivers for another relative.
About 90 percent of the caregivers said the experience enabled them to appreciate life more, the study found. About 44 percent reported no strain, and 41 percent reported some strain.
The most stressful issues, the caregivers said, were the family member's problems with mood (depression, loneliness and anxiety) and memory, and the physical care, especially dressing and bowel control, that was needed.
The caregivers' average depression scores were well below scores typically reported in studies in which participants are recruited from clinical settings, according to the researchers, led by William E. Haley, a professor at the School of Aging Studies of the University of South Florida in Tampa.
Along with having an increased appreciation for life, the caregivers in the study reported a number of other benefits from the experience, including "feeling needed" and "developing a more positive attitude toward life."
The findings show that "even in the face of challenging caregiving roles, many families are resilient and find personal benefit and meaning from providing assistance to a loved one," Haley said in a news release from the American Heart Association.
The study appears in the current issue of the association's journal Stroke.
"Support for caregivers should include interventions to aid their coping with highly stressful mood, physical care and cognitive problems of stroke patients, but should also attend to perceived benefits of caregiving," Haley said.
More information
The Family Caregiver Alliance offers information and advice for caregivers.
This study did help me--but my situation may not be as difficult what other posters are going through. Sounds like the folks in the study were at a place with their caregiving where routines had had a chance to be developed and supports had been put into place. Doesn't sound like they had to be watching somebody die. This study did remind me not to get into a habit of being pessimistic, resentful and irritable just as a matter of course--and to intentionally look for moments that I can appreciate and be thankful for.
I find this report hard to believe "About 90 percent of the caregivers said the experience enabled them to appreciate life more." Come on.....I don't think those of us who have been caregivers would really agree that we are currently appreciating life more-especially while we are caregivers. "44% report no strain/stress" - really ? No way! I wonder who they got to participate in this study? I agree with btutor's comment that watching a family member with dementia/Alzheimer's/stroke or whatever really is NOT a happy stress-free time. Sounds like a ridiculous and flawed study to me.
Not all caregivers are stressed and depressed? Try being the caregiver for an Alzheimer's victim. Everyday is a new day...for them. You have to constantly reinvent the wheel. Working 24/7 to keep them safe, comfortable, clean and content while putting everything for yourself on the backburner is enough to stress/depress anyone. Show me a few more money and time wasting studies that tell me I'm happy in my work while I watch my wife die.