EXPLORE INFORMAL CARERS’ EXPERIENCES USING SELF-MANAGEMENT PROGRAMME

• Research type

  Research Study

• Full title

  A PHENOMENOLOGICAL STUDY TO EXPLORE THE EXPERIENCES OF INFORMAL CARERGIVERS USING BRIDGES STROKE SELF-MANAGEMENT PROGRAMME WITH STROKE SURVIVORS

• IRAS ID

  132053

• Contact name

  Diane Carpenter

• Contact email

  dc3@soton.ac.uk

• Research summary

  Stroke remains one of the top three causes of death and the largest cause of disability in the UK (National Audit Office, 2010: 29). Within months of returning home stroke survivor’s social support networks tend to diminish. Consequently, lack of this social support causes huge psychological difficulties and potentially catastrophic outcomes for the stroke survivors (Kendall et al. 2007: 736). As a result, stroke survivors feel unprepared for discharge from rehabilitation services in spite of having undergone extensive periods of therapy (Jones 2009: 523).
  There is sufficient evidence to suggest that self-management programmes for patients with long term conditions such as stroke, diabetes, asthma and arthritis are effective at improving long-term behavioural outcomes (Jones 2009: 523). A vast majority of self-management programmes are based on Bandura’s (1997) Social Cognitive Theory (SCT). According to the SCT, ‘an individual’s belief in their own capability to produce a change in a specific behaviour, known as self-efficacy, is critical to long-term recovery’ (Jones 2009: 523). Based on the SCT, Jones (2009: 523) developed ‘Bridges stroke self-management workbook’ intervention incorporating main sources of self-efficacy as described by Bandura.

  It has been reported that informal caregivers have a huge role to play in the successful implementation of self-management programmes (Barker, and Brauer 2006: 1222). Hence, following requests from carers and in order to facilitate maximum support from caregivers the Bridges stroke self management programme recently published ‘A booklet for family and carers of people with stroke: A guide to supporting people to gain more control over their lives after stroke – by using the Bridges workbook’. Therefore, the aim of this proposed qualitative research is to explore the experiences of informal caregivers who are supporting stroke survivors using the Bridges stroke self-management programme in order to optimise recovery and long-term clinical outcomes.

• REC name

  South Central - Oxford C Research Ethics Committee

• REC reference

  13/SC/0608

• Date of REC Opinion

  13 Jan 2014

• REC opinion

  Further Information Favourable Opinion