Pierce Linda L, Steiner Victoria, Govoni Amy, Thompson Teresa Cervantez, Friedemann Marie-Luise
The University of Toledo College of Nursing, Toledo, Ohio, USA.
Top Stroke Rehabil. 2007 Mar-Apr;14(2):13-20. doi: 10.1310/tsr1402-13.
This descriptive study examined problems and successes that a sample of 73 adult caregivers new to the role expressed in the first year of caring for stroke survivors. Data were collected from May 2002 to December 2005.
Bimonthly, trained telephone interviewers asked the participants open-ended questions to elicit their experience in caregiving. Guided by Friedemann's framework of systemic organization, we analyzed the data using Colaizzi's method of content analysis.
There were 2,455 problems and 2,687 successes reported. Three themes emerged from the problems: being frustrated in day-to-day situations (system maintenance in Friedemann's terms), feeling inadequate and turning to others for help (coherence), and struggling and looking for "normal" in caring (system maintenance vs. change). Three themes were attributed to the successes: making it through and striving for independence (system maintenance), doing things together and seeing accomplishments in the other (coherence), and reaching a new sense of normal and finding balance in life (individuation and system maintenance).
These findings provided an in-depth, theorybased description of the experience of being a new caregiver and can help explain how caring can be a difficult yet rewarding experience. Knowledge of the changes over time allows health care professionals to tailor their interventions, understanding, and support.
本描述性研究调查了73名初担此角色的成年照顾者在照顾中风幸存者第一年中所表达的问题与成功之处。数据收集于2002年5月至2005年12月。
由经过培训的电话访问员每两个月向参与者提出开放式问题，以引出他们的照顾经历。在弗里德曼的系统组织框架指导下，我们采用科莱齐的内容分析法对数据进行分析。
共报告了2455个问题和2687个成功之处。从问题中浮现出三个主题：在日常情境中感到沮丧（用弗里德曼的话说即系统维持）、觉得自己能力不足并向他人求助（连贯性）、在照顾中挣扎并寻求“正常状态”（系统维持与变化）。成功归因于三个主题：挺过来并努力实现独立（系统维持）、一起做事并看到对方的成就（连贯性）、达到一种新的正常状态并在生活中找到平衡（个性化与系统维持）。
这些发现对初为照顾者的经历进行了深入的、基于理论的描述，并有助于解释照顾为何是一项艰难却有意义的经历。了解随时间的变化能让医护人员调整他们的干预措施、理解和支持方式。
