Association of formal and informal care with health-related quality of life and depressive symptoms: findings from the Caring for Adults Recovering from the Effects of Stroke study.

Shared care was the most common care configuration for stroke participants, but no significant associations were found between shared care and self-reported outcomes after adjusting for stroke participant characteristics. Further research is needed on the dose of informal and formal care and their coordination to better understand relationships with recovery.IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATIONStroke is one of the leading causes of disability for adults in the USA and ongoing care is needed for survivors.Informal caregivers such as family members play an important role in recovery in addition to formal care provided by home health aides, nurses and therapists.This study showed that survivors with informal care had more severe depressive symptoms, while shared care provided by formal and informal caregivers may prevent further decline in patients with worse baseline health.