Correlation Between the Quality of Life of Stroke Caregivers and the Readiness of Patients and Caregivers for Hospital Discharge

Jun Zhou,1 Qiao-Lin Chen,2 Qian-Qian Li,1 Le-Mei Liu,1 Yu Lei,1 Xue Yang,1 Wen-Xuan Mou,3 Chun-Yu He,4 Fan-Min Li1 1Department of Family Medicine, The People’s Hospital of Leshan, Leshan, Sichuan, People’s Republic of China; 2Operating Theatre, Jiajiang People’s Hospital, Leshan, Sichuan, People’s Republic of China; 3Gastroenterology Department, Qingbaijiang District People’s Hospital, Chengdu, Sichuan, People’s Republic of China; 4School of Nursing, Chengdu Medical College, Chengdu, Sichuan, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Chun-Yu He, Email [email protected] Fan-Min Li, Email [email protected]: This study aimed to evaluate the quality of life of stroke caregivers and analyze its association with the discharge readiness of both caregivers and patients.Methods: A total of 302 stroke patients and their primary caregivers were recruited from the neurology departments of three hospitals affiliated with Chengdu Medical College using a convenience sampling method. Sociodemographic data, the WHO Quality of Life Scale (WHOQOL-BREF), the Caregiver Preparedness Scale (CPS), and the Readiness for Hospital Discharge Scale (RHDS) were used. Statistical analyses included t-tests, analysis of variance (ANOVA), Pearson’s correlation analysis, and multiple linear regression.Results: The overall mean quality of life of primary caregivers is 60.80± 6.06, indicating a relatively low level. The mean readiness for discharge scores are as follows: caregivers: 17.66± 2.67, indicating a moderate level; stroke patients: 78.17± 8.16, indicating a relatively low level. A positive correlation was found between caregivers’ quality of life and their own as well as the patients’ readiness for discharge (P < 0.01). Multiple linear regression indicated four significant factors associated with caregiver quality of life: Patient’s disease severity, Patient’s readiness for discharge, Caregiver’s readiness for discharge, and the Daily hours spent caregiving (R²= 0.589, P < 0.001).Conclusion: Caregivers’ quality of life is generally low but can be improved by enhancing discharge readiness for both caregivers and patients.Keywords: stroke, primary caregiver, quality of life, readiness for discharge