Background: First-time stroke Survivors (SS) and family caregivers (FC) experience multiple non-death losses. Current conceptualizations of these losses are largely derived from Western contexts. This study is the first to examine the lived experiences of post-stroke loss and recovery in Asian SS and FC. Methods: Interpretative phenomenological analysis was performed on qualitative dyadic interview data (N = 6) drawn from an ongoing longitudinal study in Singapore. The study included cognitively stable participants with first-time stroke at mild to moderate severity, discharged from in-patient care no longer than 3 months, and adequate communicative capabilities. Results: N=6 dyads were mainly spouses. SS were predominantly male aged between 38 to 72 and FC were mostly female aged between 37 to 52. Data analyses revealed 22 descriptive themes which were further sorted into six conceptual categories to form the Family Coping Model at Stroke Onset: (i) The Unfamiliar Body, (ii) Prioritizing Recovery, (iii) The Unprepared Surrogate, (iv) Cultivating Resilience, and (v) Trajectory Partnership are themes that represent the experience of post-stroke loss by survivors and family caregivers and their individual and joint coping strategies; (vi) Compassionate Healthcare encapsulates the needs of survivors and family caregivers from the healthcare ecosystem. Conclusions: The personal motivations of both SS and FC were reflective of a strong sense of familial duty with interdependence being reserved for pragmatic and practical issues. An absence of emotion-based coping and entrapment in a post-stroke liminal state call for the adaptation of dignity-focused, family-centered interventions for this unique population.

Authors:
Shaik Amin, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
Ping Ying Choo, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
Geraldine Tan-Ho, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
Jimmy Chee Keong Lee, Institute of Mental Health, Singapore
Andy Hau Yan Ho, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore

About the Presenter(s)
Mr Amin is a doctoral researcher who has contributed several publications in the areas of Neuropsychology and Neuroimaging. His PhD thesis focuses on the lived experience and quality of life outcomes of first-time stroke families in Singapore

Connect on Linkedin
https://www.linkedin.com/in/shaik-amin-39403a132/

Connect on ResearchGate
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Shaik-Amin

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