Living with loss: The stroke family caregiver

Stroke family caregiver self-losses are the focus of this study. The data presented here were collected as part of a larger study of stress, coping, and adaptation in stroke family caregiving. Information on personal losses was derived from a series of intensive interviews over time with stroke caregivers involved in home care for first-time stroke survivors during the acute phase of recovery. Thematic analysis of audiotaped transcriptions indicated that family caregivers experienced four major self-losses in caring for the stroke survivor in the home: loss of the familiar self, loss of the autonomous self, loss of the affiliative self, and loss of the knowing self. Implications for family centered practice to address these four losses are discussed.

Duke Scholars

Author Linda Lindsey Davis School of Nursing