Abstract
Inadequate discharge planning can worsen long-term outcomes for patients with stroke, delaying their recovery. Equipping caregivers with the knowledge to manage rehabilitation needs is crucial for facilitating a smooth hospital-to-home transition. The study aims to assess the effectiveness of a “Patient-Centered Discharge Program for Caregivers” on the comprehensiveness and clarity of discharge advice provided to caregivers of stroke survivors. Using a quasi-experimental design, the study compared a control group receiving standard discharge planning and an experimental group receiving the “Patient-Centered Discharge Program for Caregivers.” 62 caregivers of stroke survivors formed the participant pool. The program focused on various comprehensive discharge advice domains delivered to the caregivers. The discharge advice, knowledge, and skills of caregivers regarding stroke care were assessed on the day of discharge through questionnaires and checklists. Compared to the control group, the discharge instructions of the experimental group became more comprehensive and clear, with a significant improvement in knowledge and skills regarding stroke care (p < .05). The knowledge scores of the caregivers showed a statistically significant difference from the control group, with a mean difference of 8.78. (p < .05). The experimental group demonstrated good skills in nearly all procedures compared to the control group, including oral care, range of motion exercises, feeding, suctioning, and back care (p < .05). The “Patient-Centered Discharge Program for Caregivers” led to the delivery of more comprehensive discharge instructions, subsequently increasing caregivers’ knowledge. It highlights the benefits of such programs in equipping caregivers for effective discharge planning, with future research needed to evaluate long-term benefits.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
Supplementary Material
Please find the following supplemental material available below.
For Open Access articles published under a Creative Commons License, all supplemental material carries the same license as the article it is associated with.
For non-Open Access articles published, all supplemental material carries a non-exclusive license, and permission requests for re-use of supplemental material or any part of supplemental material shall be sent directly to the copyright owner as specified in the copyright notice associated with the article.
