Biographical continuation: recovery of stroke survivors and their family caregivers in Taiwan.
Zih-Yong LiaoElaine Haycock-StuartSusanne KeanPublished in: Primary health care research & development (2024)
The post-stroke recovery trajectory is illuminated, delineating the dyads' life transitions from biographical disruption to biographical continuation. The trajectory is shaped by seven states involving four mindsets and three status passages. The four mindsets are sense of loss and worry, sense of interdependence, sense of independence, and wellbeing state. The status passages identified in this study are acceptance, alteration, and identification. A community-based and family-centred long-term care system, aligning with medical healthcare and community resources, underpinned each dyad's biographical continuation by: (1) providing rehabilitation that afforded time and space for recovery adaptation; (2) acknowledging the individuality of family caregivers and helping to alleviate their multitasking; and (3) reintegrating stroke survivors into their communities. Key to determining the quality of recovery for the indigenous participants was their reintegration into their native community and regaining of identity. Therefore, integrating post-stroke care into various care contexts and incorporating indigenous-specific needs into policymaking can support dyads in adapting to their communities.