Multifaceted support for caregivers of stroke patients to meet the dynamic needs of patients: A qualitative study.

Background: Caregivers of stroke patients always have various concerns in the process of patient care, which requires the full attention and support of healthcare professionals. Understanding their needs is essential for careful care planning. The present study aimed to discover and explain the needs of caregivers for stroke patients.

Materials and methods: This qualitative content analysis was conducted with 24 purposefully selected participants who provide home care for stroke patients in Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province, Iran, during 2019-2020. Data gathering was done through semi-structured interviews. Conventional content analysis was done, and trustworthiness was investigated through peer checking, member checking, and prolonged engagement based on Lincoln and Guba's criteria.

Results: The main emerged themes showed caregivers' needs including physical empowerment (to overcome overwhelming care and physical exhaustion, and caregivers' deficit attention to self-care), emotional-social empowerment (to relieve caregivers' mental exhaustion, disrupted family relationships, and disrupted social relations), coping with stigma (to cope with stigma of guilt and fear of others' reactions and stigma of delegated care), and dynamics educational needs (big concern of hospital discharge and home care, constant effort to learn, and seeking help).

Conclusion: The basic, complex, and multidimensional needs of caregivers are unmet. Forgotten caregivers are afraid of hospital discharge and home care. Formal organizations for training and support, providing temporary cares, and planning for destigmatizing the delegated care of relatives are required.