Article

This study developed and implemented the Transition Assistance Program (TAP) for
stroke caregivers. The program is composed of (1) skill development, (2)
education, and (3) supportive problem solving. Sixty-one dyads (n = 122)
participated: thirty-nine from Puerto Rico and twenty-two from Texas.
Participants were randomly assigned to the TAP treatment or a control group. As
caregiver satisfaction with the TAP increased, strain and depression decreased,
and caregivers reported a very high rate of program satisfaction (9.5 out of 10).
The TAP effectively reduced caregiver strain at the 3-month follow-up. When
controlling for baseline differences, we found that the treatment group had lower
depression (p = 0.07) than the control group at follow-up and that the TAP may
have had a preventative effect on depression for caregivers who had not been
depressed at discharge, although this visual trend did not reach statistical
significance. Among veterans with low functioning at baseline, veterans whose
caregivers had received the TAP improved in functioning more than did veterans
whose caregivers had been in the control group, although this visual trend was
not significant. Functioning in veterans with stroke was also significantly
linked to caregiver satisfaction with the TAP. The findings from the current
study warrant further evaluation of the TAP intervention.

Langue : ANGLAIS