The Relationship Between Care Preparedness and Altruism Levels in Caregivers of Stroke Patients

ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: Stroke care partners and caregivers experience emotional and physical burden, and 80% of stroke patients need support after discharge. This study examines the relationship between caregiver preparedness and altruism levels of stroke patients. METHODS: The population of this descriptive and correlational study consisted of the caregivers of stroke patients who were hospitalized at the stroke center of a hospital between January 2021 and August 2021. The sample was determined as 240 with the known sampling formula. The descriptive information form, the Preparedness for Caregiving Scale, and the Altruism Scale were used to collect the study data. RESULTS: The total mean score of the caregivers' preparedness to provide care was found to be 25.04 (7.36), and the mean total altruism score was 85.78 (9.20). The mean score of Donation, which is one of the subdimensions of the Altruism Scale, was 26.67 (4.08), and that of Helping Status was 59.10 (6.92). No statistically significant relationships were detected between caregivers' preparedness to provide care scores, Helping Status scores, Donation scores, and total altruism scores in this study ( P = .241, P = .245, and P = .129, respectively). CONCLUSION: No statistically significant relationships were detected between the preparedness and altruism levels of the caregivers of the stroke patients in this study.