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Reconciling Marriage and Care after Stroke

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 July 2017

Sharon Anderson ,
Norah Keating  and
Donna Wilson
Sharon Anderson*
Affiliation:
Department of Human Ecology, University of Alberta
Norah Keating
Affiliation:
College of Human Sciences & Health Sciences, Swansea University, Wales, and Optentia Research Focus Area, North-West University, South Africa
Donna Wilson
Affiliation:
Faculty of Nursing, University of Alberta
*
*Correspondence and requests for reprints should be sent to / La correspondance et les demandes de tirés-à-part doivent être adresées à : Sharon Anderson, MEd., MSc., Ph.D. Department of Human Ecology 302 Human Ecology Building University of Alberta Edmonton, AB T6G 2R3 <sdanders@ualberta.ca>
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Abstract

Most research on stroke’s impact on couples has focused on the transition to caregiving/receiving. Despite considerable evidence that marriage is the primary source of support in the face of chronic conditions, little is known about what happens to marriage in the context of care after stroke. To address this gap, we undertook a qualitative grounded-theory study of 18 couples in which one partner had experienced a stroke. Findings revealed two interrelated themes of the couple processes: working out care, which involved discovering and addressing disruptions in day-to-day activities; and rethinking marriage, which involved determining the meaning of their relationship within the new context of care and disability. Three distinct types of marriages evolved from these processes: reconfirmed around their pre-stroke marriage; recalibrated around care; and a parallel relationship, “his” and “her” marriage. Our findings highlight the need to consider relationship dynamics in addition to knowledge about stroke and care.

Résumé

La plupart des recherches concernant les impacts des accidents vasculaires cérébraux (AVC) sur les couples ont été centrées sur la transition vers le rôle de soignant ou de bénéficiaire de soins. Même s’il est bien établi que la source principale du soutien dans les cas de maladies chroniques soit le mariage, il n’existe que peu de données sur les effets de ces soins, après un AVC, sur la relation maritale. Afin de combler cette lacune, nous avons réalisé une étude qualitative fondée sur une théorie à base empirique impliquant 18 couples dans lesquels l’un des époux avait subi un AVC. Les résultats ont mis en évidence deux thèmes étroitement liés en ce qui concerne la dynamique de couple : organiser les soins, un thème qui implique la découverte des problèmes dans la vie de tous les jours et leur prise en charge ; et repenser le mariage, un aspect qui nécessite la détermination du sens rattaché à la relation de couple dans un nouveau contexte caractérisé par des soins et des incapacités. Trois types du mariage se sont ressortis à partir de ces processus : la « reconfirmation » du mariage tel qu’il existait avant l’AVC ; la recalibration » du mariage autour des nouveaux soins ; et la « relation parallèle » — considérée comme « son mariage » à chacun des deux prtenaires. Ces résultats mettent en évidence la nécessité de considérer les dynamiques des relations, en plus des connaissances associées à l’AVC et aux soins.

Keywords

agingmarriagerelationshipsolder adultsstrokevieillissementmariagerelationsadultes plus âgésaccident vasculaire cérébral
Type
Articles
Information
Canadian Journal on Aging / La Revue canadienne du vieillissement , Volume 36 , Issue 3 , September 2017 , pp. 386 - 401
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Copyright
Copyright © Canadian Association on Gerontology 2017 

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