Lifestyle changes and coping patterns among caregivers of stroke survivors.

Although caregiving has been a major focus for research, little is known about the day-to-day changes in lifestyle faced by caregivers. Yet lifestyle, developed over time, manifests an individual's very identity. Using a multimethod approach, we assessed the perceptions of lifestyle changes and coping patterns of 20 caregivers of first-time stroke survivors in the early poststroke period. An outcome-oriented matrix was employed for qualitative analysis, and findings were expanded by additional quantitative analysis. Three themes emerged: pervasiveness of lifestyle change, cohort differences in the perception of lifestyle change and coping patterns, and primary issues of time and confinement. Findings suggest that strains relative to caregiving may not be confined to direct caregiving activities, but may be related to established patterns of daily life.