Quality of Life Among Caregivers of Stroke Survivors in Accra, Ghana

Background:The impact of stroke on the quality of life of stroke caregivers is often given lower priority in its management, regardless of the consequences of caregiving and its economic benefits to the patient and community at large. Currently there is paucity of research data on quality of life among caregivers of stroke survivors in Ghana.Objective: To investigate the quality of life (QoL) among caregivers of stroke survivors.Methods:Fifty stroke survivors and their caregivers attending physiotherapy at Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, Accra and fifty non-caregivers were purposively recruited for this cross-sectional study. World Health Organization Quality of Life Scale (WHOQoL)-Bref was used to obtain information regarding the QoL of the caregivers and non-caregivers. The level of functional independence of the stroke survivors was assessed with Barthel Index. Independent t-test and unpaired t-test were used to analyse the data obtained.Results:The mean age of the caregivers, stroke survivors and the non-caregivers were 41.6±14.2, 59.5±10.9, and 41.5±14.8 respectively. Out of the 50 caregivers, 31(62%) were females. The overall QoL of the caregivers and non-caregivers were 54.5±10.3 and 59.3±9.8 respectively. There was significant difference in the physical health between caregivers and non-caregivers. Conclusion: Caregivers of stroke survivors in Accra have reduced QoL. The level of functional independence of the stroke survivor, age and educational status of the caregiver can influence caregivers’ QoL. Keywords: Stroke, caregivers, stroke survivors, quality of life, non-caregiver