This study aimed to understand and gain insight into an informal caregiver program for caregivers of older stroke patients, which incorporates both skills training and education, in relation to caregiver burden. Semi-structured, in-depth interviews with individual informal caregivers were conducted at admission, at discharge, and six weeks after discharge. The program consisted of informal caregiver meetings, walk-in days, psychoeducation, and weekend leave after admission to a rehabilitation stroke unit in a nursing home. Eleven informal caregivers participated in the study. The informal caregiver meetings and walk-in days provided more insight into the (level of) functioning of the stroke patients, more skills in guiding them, and better communication with the multidisciplinary care team. During weekend leave, caregivers experienced what their roles as caregivers entailed. Six weeks after discharge, caregivers said that they did not miss any guidance during admission and that they were positive about the future. About half of the caregivers found the caregiver situation disappointing, and combining care tasks with daily tasks appeared to be difficult. Offering informal caregivers a tailor-made program during rehabilitation and good communication helps to diminish caregiver burden in the post-discharge phase when their relatives are back home.
Keywords: caregiver burden; geriatric rehabilitation; informal caregiver; qualitative; stroke.