When planning ongoing care for a stroke patient, the focus tends to rest on the patient with sometimes little consideration for the family member or friend who will be their caregiver.
Now, a new study is shining a spotlight on the challenges faced by stroke survivor caregivers when accessing health and social services for themselves.
Nursing professor Anna Garnett led a study highlighting barriers faced by caregivers. (submitted)
Led by Arthur Labatt Family School of Nursing professor Anna Garnett and published in BMC Health Services Research, the study highlighted some significant barriers caregivers face when accessing support. These barriers include financial factors, lack of transportation, and lack of awareness about available services.
The study emphasized the need for Canadian policymakers to acknowledge and understand the challenges caregivers face to develop programs that support stroke survivor caregivers in a more meaningful way.
"There is a need to consider caregiver access to services," said Garnett. "And it's not just about providing the service but also ensuring they are able to use it."
Caregivers in the study were not only subjected to reduced income or termination of their employment so they could provide care; they are also facing the loss of the stroke patient's income if the patient was a primary earner in their family, the study said.
