10.25419/rcsi.12706745.v1 Shelagh O'Connor Shelagh O'Connor An Exploration of Carers of Stroke-Survivors in Ireland Experiences of the Discharge Planning Process and Transition of Care to the Home Setting Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland 2020 Stroke Rehabilitation Patient Discharge Transition Care Caregivers Medical and Health Sciences not elsewhere classified 2020-07-24 11:55:38 Thesis https://repository.rcsi.com/articles/thesis/An_Exploration_of_Carers_of_Stroke-Survivors_in_Ireland_Experiences_of_the_Discharge_Planning_Process_and_Transition_of_Care_to_the_Home_Setting/12706745 <div>Introduction</div><div>In Ireland, it is estimated that 10,000 people have a stroke annually. A high number</div><div>of stroke-survivors with residual deficits requiring care are discharged to their own.</div><div>Informal carers are often central in homecare provision. The discharge planning</div><div>process (DPP) is the process used to establish the requirements necessary for a</div><div>patient to transition from one level of care to another, and may involve carers.</div><div><br></div><div>Aims and Objectives</div><div>The aim of this study was to explore the experiences of carers of stroke-survivors in</div><div>Ireland, in relation to the DPP and transition of care to the home setting. The</div><div>objectives were; to identify carers’ perceptions of being engaged in necessary</div><div>discussions when discharge-planning. To identify experiences of the DPP that</div><div>affected planning for and impacted upon effective transition to the home setting,</div><div>including perceived supports and barriers. To explore the impact of onward referral,</div><div>and access to support services, on the DPP and transition of care to the home setting.</div><div><br></div><div>Methods</div><div>This study employed a qualitative descriptive design using semi-structured</div><div>interviews, with carers of stroke-survivors in Ireland (n=6). The Caregiver Burden</div><div>Scale (CBS) was used a thematic prompt by participants prior to conducting</div><div>interviews. Key themes emerged from data analysis, which were identified using</div><div>thematic analysis.</div><div><br></div><div>Results</div><div>Results of the CBS (Macera et al., 1993) identified areas where participants provided</div><div>care and areas that increased their stress. Theme one involved preparation for</div><div>discharge while in the hospital. Supports at this time, included access to an</div><div>information-pack on aspects related to their relative’s care. Theme two related to</div><div>access to community-services and life at home post-discharge, with access to early</div><div>supported discharge described as beneficial.</div><div><br></div><div>Conclusions</div><div>Effective communication of information, provision of necessary training and access</div><div>to community services upon discharge, were considered key components of effective</div><div>discharge planning.</div><div><br></div><div>Implications of Findings</div><div>Health professionals must ensure that adequate information exchange and training</div><div>occurs with carers of stroke-survivors, to support their involvement in the DPP and</div><div>ensure continuity of care on discharge.</div>