Use of care by home-dwelling stroke patients during three years following hospital discharge

Of 82 stroke survivors who had been discharged from hospital, 49 were still living at home after a three-year period. Thirty-three of these patients formed the population of the present study of the use of care at home. Sixty-one percent had received professional care and 88% had received family care. Although their overall functional status indicated only mild handicaps, after three years patients still reported a large number of disabilities and problems. The average weekly amount of family care was 37 h, and many family carers experienced a high burden of care and had emotional problems coping with the patients' disabilities. Concerning factors related to the use of care, in spite of the relatively small number of study patients, some interesting hypotheses can be advanced.