Perception of ischemic stroke survivor's and physiotherapists about self-care management following a stroke after completing rehabilitation

Abstract

Background: Stroke is a neurological incident whose effects are long-term. It is the second largest causes of death and one major cause of adult disability in the world with an incidence of about 17 million people in a year. It is important to know the perception and experience of ischemic stroke survivors and physiotherapists towards self-care management in the provision of comprehensive care after a stroke. Aim: To explore the understanding of self-care management by ischemic stroke survivors and physiotherapists after they complete the stroke rehabilitation process. Methodology: Qualitative research approach was adopted whereby 10 survivors of ischemic stroke, and 10 physiotherapists were purposively collected in the Neurology and Stroke Rehabilitation Unit at CRP. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the results collected in semi-structured and in-depth interviews. Result: After analysis the six main themes were identified. Patients were likely to apply self-care to simple functional activities whereas physiotherapists perceived self-care as a multidimensional undertaking. The two groups saw the significance of rehabilitation to enhance self-care. General barriers were the physical and emotional limitations, the lack of awareness, and the environmental barriers. Facilitative factors like family support, personal motivation and professional guidance were pointed out. The structured education, frequent communication, involvement of a caregiver, and the further support of a community was also stressed out by the participants. Conclusion: The study finds that holistic, patient-centered, which involves emotional, social, and educational aspects, has to be one of the elements of the improvement of self-care management following stroke and aid in long-term recovery. Keywords: Stroke survivals, physiotherapists, self-care management, rehabilitation, qualitative study.