Training carers improves their quality of life

By April Clarkson, | Health | 0 Comments

Basic nursing skills training is a great help for those who are caring for a stroke survivor.
Caring for someone with a stroke can be very demanding, both physically and mentally. A study from researchers in London reveals a straightforward way of helping such carers, who often say they feel ill-prepared for the job.

The study involved 300 stroke patients and their care givers. The latter were given either conventional support or training in basic nursing skills, including advice on moving and handling the patient.
The patients and carers were assessed at three and 12 months. The trained care givers experienced less anxiety, depression and had an enhanced quality of life compared to those on conventional support. Although patient deaths and disability were not influenced by the training, those whose carers had been trained reported better quality of life and psychological wellbeing. What is more, the cost of care for a patient whose caregiver had been trained was significantly less than for those whose caregivers had not had training.