The contribution of informal care to the management of stroke.

This paper looks at the contribution made by family carers and self-help groups to coping with chronic illness. Data from a longitudinal community study of stroke patients and their informal carers are used to identify the main sources of help and support used by stroke patients. Formal services contribute particularly for help with bathing and other self-care tasks but most help comes from the patient's family, specifically whoever is living at home with the stroke patient. Voluntary services and self-help groups reach only a small proportion of patients and their families, but there is a relatively high level of unmet demand for support groups.