First time stroke survivors' perceptions of their health status and their goals for recovery: a qualitative descriptive study

Stroke is an intensely individual, complex and life changing experience. Stroke recovery has many
dimensions, and perceptions of health status are thought to affect recovery. The purpose of this
qualitative study was to describe patients' perceptions of their health status and their goals for
recovery from early post stroke. Following ethical approval, semi structured interviews were conducted
with patients (n=10) diagnosed with a first incident of stroke. Time following stroke onset ranged from 4
to 7 days. Gender difference was equal, and mean age of participants was 77 years. Participants
considered themselves to be active and in excellent health prior to the stroke onset. All participants
perceived that their health had declined since the stroke onset, but they were hopeful for the future.
Two distinct themes emerged; "sudden fear and helplessness" and "regaining control in life".
Participants reported wanting to quickly return to doing everyday things and identified individual goals
for recovery. The patients' experience should be considered early post stroke to provide a complete
picture of their role in recovery. Participants believed that the greatest challenge would be testing
themselves at home. This study reinforces the importance of engaging with patients early post stroke
so that recovery goals are identified that help restore meaning through the re-establishment of previous
activities. Patient goals for recovery need to be discussed and devised in conjunction with health care
professionals.
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