The experience of stroke survivors three months after being discharged home: A phenomenological investigation.

Background: Stroke is the leading cause of disability in adults, and has a significant impact on individuals, families, and society. Returning home after a stroke represents a challenging experience for patients who struggle to adapt to their new life conditions. Although many studies have been conducted on stroke survivors, few studies have focused on the lived experience of patients at three months after they came home after rehabilitation.
Aims: The aim of this study was to describe the experience of stroke survivors three months after being discharged home from rehabilitation hospitals.
Method: A phenomenological methodology was used to conduct the study. Participants were enrolled from rehabilitation hospitals in the cities of Rome and Naples. Interviews were conducted at the patients' house and data were analysed with a phenomenological approach
Findings: Fifteen stroke survivors were interviewed (mean age 70 years; 12 males). Five themes emerged from the phenomenological analysis of the interviews and the field notes: deeply changed life, vivid memory of the acute phase of the stroke, slowed lives, relief after recovering from stroke, being a burden for family members.
Conclusions: The results of this study give an overview of the experience of stroke survivors three months after being discharged home. From a clinical perspective, health care providers need to provide more interventions to help survivors to cope better with life changes and encourage them to adapt to daily life limitations caused by stroke. Also, health care providers should improve support provided to family members of stroke patients.
(© The European Society of Cardiology 2014.)