Abstract

     Background: Stroke, caused by a blood clot or a bleeding in the brain, is one of the large endemic diseases in Sweden. The symptoms are very individual and depend on where the stroke is located. The nurse is a key person due to the importance to individualize the rehabilitation of the patient. The consequences after a stroke are not only visible functions reductions but also cognitive and practical problems. Stroke often leads to extensive changes in life, and individuals who get a stroke have to adjust their daily life.

Aim: The aim of the study was to describe individuals’ experiences of changes in daily life, one year or more after a stroke.

Method: An inductive, qualitative approach was used. Six individuals with stroke were interviewed. An analysis of the tape-recorded interview material was carried out using qualitative content analysis.

Results:  Everything changed quickly in the informants’ life. Their life took a new course and they had to adjust it to the new circumstances. The informants’ physical- and cognitive disabilities limited their daily activities and they could not take care of themselves anymore. Despite their struggles in life, the informants had a strong will to maintain daily routines and they managed this by developing new strategies.

Conclusion: All the informants experience limits in daily life. They had to start an entirely new life due to their physical and cognitive limits. Despite all this they had to find a way to struggle on and to try to manage on there own.