Telephone Intervention for Family Caregivers of Stroke Survivors

This intervention trains caregivers of stroke survivors to use social problem-solving skills to manage problems and cope with the stresses of care giving. Social problem-solving therapy has been shown to improve the well-being of family caregivers; this program provides home-based telephone partnerships to caregivers after stroke survivors are discharged to their home from a rehabilitation facility. Participants receive an initial home visit from a trained nurse within one week of discharge, followed by weekly and bi-weekly telephone contacts over a 12-week period to develop and maintain problem-solving skills. The caregivers are taught to stay positive, and trained in a systematic 4-step problem-solving approach: 1) identify the problem, 2) decide what must be accomplished and list possible solutions, 3) choose and test the best solutions, and 4) evaluate outcomes. During telephone contacts, trained health care professionals provide feedback and support to caregivers regarding problem solving solutions. The program focuses on maintaining safety and managing stress and depression.

The goal of this intervention is to provide family caregivers of stroke survivors with problem-solving skills and support to manage problems and cope with the stresses of care giving.

This program was evaluated using a randomized experimental design to compare the telephone intervention group with a control group. Family caregivers who participated in the problem-solving telephone partnership intervention had statistically significant improvements in vitality, mental health, and role limitations related to emotional problems (p's < 0.01). The intervention group also had significantly better problem solving skills (p < 0.006), greater caregiver preparedness (p < 0.001), and less depression (< 0.001). Satisfaction with healthcare services decreased over time in the control group while remaining comparable in the intervention group.