A Study of the Effects of Follow-up Care for Stroke Survivors on Primary Caregivers' Quality of Life

뇌졸중 환자의 추후관리가 주간호제공자의 삶의 질에 미치는 영향

The purpose of this study was to identify the effect of follow-up care for stroke survivors on primary caregivers' quality of life. Quasi-experimental research was conducted in which an experimental group and a control group-each of 15 stroke survivors and their primary caregivers-were consecutively sampled. Data collected from July to September, 1999 by interview using a structured questionnaire with both the experimental and the control groups. After a month, the two groups were given the same questionnaire. The experimental group was also given a telephone follow-up every week for a month, as well as a home visit. The survey instruments used in this study were Saha and Cooper's "Modified Barthel Index" (11 items) for checking the stroke survivors' level of activities of daily living, and a modified form of Jeong's "Quality of life" (18 items) for primary caregivers' QOL level. The obtained data were analyzed by percentage, t-test, $X^2$-test, Kruscal-Wallis test, Spearman correlation coefficient by SAS/PC program. The results were as follows: 1. There was no significant difference in the stroke survivors' ADL level, though the level of the experimental group was higher than that of the control group. 2. There was a statistical difference in the before and after treatment of the primary caregivers' QOL level. In conclusion, the follow-up care program had a useful effect on the quality of life of primary caregivers.