Self-care to elderly after cerebrovascular accident: caregiver and academics experiences

Objective: understand the experiences of the caregiver and multidisciplinary health academics toward the development of self-care at home for elderly after cerebrovascular accident. Methods: qualitative study with the use of semi-structured interviews with six caregivers and eight academics whose data were analyzed in the light of the Phenomenology. Results: three categories emerged: living with the challenges and limitations imposed on the caregiver and on the person being cared; the professional being and the technic conservatism; the multidisciplinary team at home: experiences with the caregiver and the person being cared. Conclusion: caregivers of elderly who went through cerebrovascular accident need more support and guidance for conducting home care, they need a plan of care to facilitate and encourage self-care, minimizing the burden incurred to the caregiver. Multidisciplinary academics displayed a technical view. This demonstrates the need for change in academic education with more focus on a holistic and humanistic view of care.