Taking care of persons handicapped by cerebral vascular accident at home: the familial caregiver activity

Abstract

An exploratory descriptive and quantitative study aimed at identifying and describing the activity of relatives in charge of caring at home for people incapacitated by cerebral vascular accident. The sample was comprised of 35 family caregivers, most of them women, wives or daughters. The care given is directly related to the degree of incapacity of the person who is being cared for. The orientation received indicated no commitment of professionals for the continuity of the care. The caregivers learn in daily practice how to care, based on observation and assistance to nursing during the internment period. The difficulties are related to physical effort, to lack of information and fear, to the embarassment and the shame of handling someone else's body. The study focuses on the need for preparation for hospital discharge, emphasizes the family as a concrete space for care; and observed an increase in life expectancy.