Spouses of stroke survivors advised to move beyond caregiver role
- September 21, 2015, 8:43 pm
- National News
- 60 Views
HQ City Desk
QUETTA: Marriages often turn into a patient-caregiver relationship after a stroke, says a Canadian researcher who has looked at how the role changes for couples.
It's estimated 62,000 strokes occur in Canada each year, about one every nine minutes, according to the Heart and Stroke Foundation. It's the third-leading cause of death in this country and the second-leading cause of death in the world.
Researcher Sharon Anderson of the University of Alberta in Edmonton interviewed 18 Canadian couples who are living with stroke. Her interest in the field was piqued after her husband had a stroke in November 1997.
He was initially told he wouldn't walk or talk again, and Anderson was advised to put him in a nursing home. After rehabilitation, he now rides a recumbent bike, runs a website and walks and talks.
"Is he recovered? Recovery is a funny word," she said. "No, he's not recovered. He still has some problems from the stroke but for all intents and purposes, I'd say he is still my husband."
Other research suggests people in good relationships live longer. But Anderson said the rates of divorce and separation are much higher after strokes than they are in cancer and other conditions, which also place stresses on couples.
Marriages inevitably turn into a patient-caregiver relationship immediately after a stroke. Couples need to learn to move past those roles to stay together and be happy, Anderson said.
She discovered a key question: "What is it you both need in this? I think that would help them to realize that we need to look at not only what the survivor needs and recovery for the survivor, but what also the spouse needs."
