Family nursing care efficiency and the level of fulfilling chosen health needs of cerebral stroke patients

Introduction. For such patients, family members are the main and the most significant and needed source of support. Family nursing care,
their participation, awareness and engagement is often a crucial factor that determines effect of the whole process of rehabilitation. Appropriate
care is also important in avoiding disease complications or disability.

Aim of the study. The aim of my thesis was to analyze the influence of family care efficiency on the level of fulfilling chosen health needs of
cerebral stroke patients.

Material and methods. The research was undertaken in the group of 82 cerebral stroke patients. The group consisted of 46 women and 36
men. Patients were aged from 44 to 94.
In order to gather required data, patients functional condition was measured twice on the basis of Barthel Index: first, at the day of their
discharge and then after 3-month time of their stay in their home environment. During that time a family and environmental history was taken.

Results. On the basis of applied analysis it was proved that family efficiency resulted from the number of relatives who looked after the
patient. The more relatives took part in the process the bigger efficiency they presented (p < 0.0001). Better efficiency was also strictly
connected (p < 0.001) with decreased number of complications, such as bedsores, contractures or long-term infections. The analysis of
family influence on the better functional condition of patients, which took place in subgroups defined according to the Barthel’s scale,
showed that family attitude had a crucial impact (p = 0.001) on the evaluation of the functional condition after 3-month stay in a dormitory
conditions, only to a group of patients with an indirect evaluation of a starting functional condition.

Conclusions. Family care efficiency and the realization of motor rehabilitation needs have a crucial impact on the level of improvement of
patients’ functional condition who suffered from stroke and who were looked after by family members.