Self-care in stroke rehabilitation: a qualitative study.

OBJECTIVES

to analyze caregivers' and health professionals' perceptions of interventions that promote self-care in stroke survivors.

METHODS

qualitative study within an interpretivist paradigm; we conducted nine interviews with family caregivers and three focus groups with health professionals. Data were collected in Angola (December 2024-January 2025), audio-recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using content analysis in webQDA®.

RESULTS

central concerns include planning and continuity of individualized rehabilitation programs to ensure ongoing support, communication, and access to resources; training stroke survivors and their families for self-care management through information and education, prevention of self-neglect, and support for therapeutic regimen management; and training family caregivers to promote self-care and transition into the caregiver role.

FINAL CONSIDERATION: the findings clarify caregivers' and health professionals' perceptions of how self care is promoted among stroke survivors and yield recommendations for clinical practice and research.