Repercussões ocupacionais vivenciadas por familiares de pacientes hospitalizados na fase aguda por acidente vascular cerebral

Abstract

In Brazil, stroke (Cerebrovascular Accident – CVA) is responsible for high hospitalization costs and for impairments that significantly impact the quality of life of both patients and their families. The experience of caring for an ill relative often results in caregiver burden, leading to deprivations and changes in family dynamics. Therefore, the family caregiver must also be the focus of care, especially because, in the condition of an informal caregiver, they face physical, emotional, and occupational challenges during the hospitalization process and the transition of care to the home setting. This study aimed to identify the occupational repercussions experienced by family caregivers during the hospitalization of patients affected by their first stroke. This is a descriptive, cross-sectional multiple case study. The inclusion criterion was being an informal caregiver of a patient hospitalized due to a first-time stroke. Data were collected at an Acute Vascular Reference Unit (URVA) in the city of Campinas, São Paulo, through a structured questionnaire administered to the family caregiver, followed by analysis of clinical records. The data obtained were analyzed descriptively with the support of simple statistical analysis. Six family members participated in the study, all women, with a mean age of 44 years and first-degree kinship. The results indicated the presence of negative occupational changes for all participants, especially in Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADLs), rest and sleep, work, and personal care. The caregivers attributed great importance to the affected occupations and reported difficulties in managing both in-hospital and out-of-hospital routines. It is concluded that the acute phase of stroke already represents a stage that promotes occupational repercussions in the caregiver’s life, with particularities such as emotional instability due to uncertainties regarding the clinical condition and future prospects, experienced alongside the process of becoming a caregiver. These findings underscore the importance of including the family member in care planning, as well as the relevance of the occupational therapist as part of neurological hospital care teams.