Effects of caregiving on caregiver spouses of stroke victims.

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of caregiving on caregiver spouses of stroke victims and the change in these effects over time. Twenty-nine effects of caregiving were identified. These effects were grouped into four major categories. The number of effects in the categories of loss of freedom and social activities and change in role, decreased over time. The effects in decrease in physical and emotional health and marital discord increased over time. The presence of a chronic illness in the caregiver and/or a second chronic illness in the stroke victim appeared to influence the escalation of effects of caregiving. An additional factor may be the length of time in the caregiving role. Nursing implications suggested by this study relate to helping the caregivers in the early mobilization of their own informal resources for respite care and to assisting caregivers to deal with the emotional aspects of caregiving.