Knowledge, Attitudes and Practice of Informal Caregivers of People Living With Stroke: A Scoping Review of Recent Literature.
Elton H Lobo, Pukhraj Gill, Christina Woloszczuk and 6 others
PMID 40346948WHAT IT FOUND
Informal caregivers of people with stroke often lacked stroke and care knowledge, felt unprepared, yet were willing to manage mobility, medications, swallowing-related meals, appointments and emotional support.
Clinicians should teach and check understanding, especially before discharge.
Key findings
01Caregivers generally had limited understanding of stroke.
02Most included studies reported caregiver willingness despite shock, grief, anxiety and uncertainty.
03Caregivers supervised exercises and took on therapy-like tasks even when feeling underprepared.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPsWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The review did not check the quality of the included studies, so it cannot say which findings are most trustworthy. Only English-language studies were searched, so relevant caregiver experiences from other languages may be missing. The review maps caregiver knowledge, attitudes and practices; it does not test whether caregiver training improves patient or caregiver outcomes. The included studies varied in country and sample size, and many focused on female spouses or partners. Some family members may not identify as caregivers, which could affect who was studied.
Declared interests
The authors declare no conflicts of interest. No funding source is stated in the supplied text.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that teaching caregivers improves stroke outcomes. This review maps caregiver knowledge, attitudes and practices; it did not test an intervention or appraise study quality.