Hospital environment
- Some families may never have been in a hospital before and this can lead to the family not feeling in control (contrast that with staff who are familiar with the environment, and have knowledge and understanding of processes and procedures). Families know that staff are busy, but for them at that moment their loved one is their only concern
- Families may have had a bad experience of a previous hospital visit or healthcare intervention. This automatically gives them a negative perspective of what may happen next
- Sometimes families experience difficulty finding a health professional on the stroke unit who can give them information and this can be frustrating
- Being unable to get to hospital easily to visit (e.g. traffic, parking, time off work or childcare arrangements at short notice)
Emotions
- Feeling powerless: staff members are the ones with the knowledge and thus perceived to have the power. Families may feel loss of control
- Carers can be experts. Carers of patients who had been ill or disabled prior to the stroke may be experts in a patient’s care. If this expertise is not acknowledged by staff, the carer can feel very isolated and disengaged
- Lack of sleep. Some families like to stay overnight in hospital if a patient is very unwell (staff need to be sensitive to this)
- Impact of caring for other dependents, e.g. children
- Some relatives may need to travel long distances to visit. The uncertainty about knowing whether the person will die and how long they should stay all adds to distress
- Unrelated issues such as family problems or conflicts within families
Page last reviewed: 16 Jan 2023
