Development of an Instrument to Assess Stroke Caregivers' Readiness for the Transition Home.

PURPOSE: The study purpose was to develop a measure to assess stroke caregivers' commitment and capacity to assume the caregiving role prior to discharge.

DESIGN: Participants were caregivers of stroke survivors in an inpatient rehabilitation facility.

METHODS: A sequential, multimethod approach, which included item generation from qualitative data, review of items by expert clinicians, cognitive interviews to determine response format (n = 22), and item clarity (n = 20), and an analysis of pilot data were utilized.

FINDINGS: Cognitive interviewing provided information to improve item clarity.

CONCLUSION: This instrument development approach resulted in the Preparedness Assessment for the Transition Home After Stroke (PATH-s), a 26-item self-report instrument. The PATH-s represents the domains of the Model of Caregiver Readiness, upon which the instrument was developed.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The PATH-s, once further validated, may guide healthcare providers in the development of tailored care plans to address identified gaps and better prepare caregivers for the transition home.