Evaluation of the Stroke Caregiver Education and Support Program (FICSS)

• Change in Baseline Bakas Caregiving Outcome Scale at 2 Weeks and 6 Months post Intervention [ Time Frame: Baseline, 2 weeks and 6 months Post Intervention ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  12 item self report instrument using a 7 point Likert scale 4 designed to measure changes in post stroke caregiver family life changes in the areas of social functioning, subjective well being and physical health,financial well-being, physical functioning, general health, roles in life and level of energy. The revised scale has demonstrated internal consistency reliability of 0.90 and construct validity of 0.66 5. The scale measures both the positive and negative aspects of caregiving with an emphasis on social consequences.
  
  

• Change in Baseline Oberst Caregiving Burden Scale at 2 Weeks and 6 Months Post Intervention [ Time Frame: Baseline, 2 weeks and 6 months post intervention ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  15 item self report instrument using a 5 point Likert scale to evaluate caregiver perceptions of the time and difficulty associated with 15 tasks performed in caring for recovering family members. It has been validated in cancer and stroke caregiver populations. It has demonstrated internal consistency reliability of 0.90 - 0.94 and validity of between 0.61 to 0.82 in stroke caregivers.
  
  
• Open Ended Focus Group Interview to assess impact of program weeks and 6 months post intervention [ Time Frame: 2 weeks and 6 months post Intervention ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  The questions will be designed to assess the impact on the stroke caregiver; perceived improvement in problem solving abilities; increased awareness and usage of community services; any indirect influence on the stroke survivor; timing of the intervention; and evaluation of the FICSS project.
  
  
• Caregiver Baseline/Stroke Survivor Baseline Questionnaire [ Time Frame: Baseline ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  Caregiver Baseline/Stroke Survivor Baseline Questionnaire is a 26 item questionnaire that collects socio-demographic and health related information of the stroke survivor and caregiver. The questionnaire is an adaptation of the one developed by Dr. Jill Cameron to include socio-demographic and health related information on the stroke survivor. The original questionnaire has been utilized in her initial and ongoing research in her "Timing it Right Framework" for stroke caregivers. Permission has been granted by Dr. Cameron to utilize the questionnaire for the study.
  
  

Behavioral: Stroke Caregiver Education and Support Program
4 week program offered weekly over a 4 week period. Each session is a 2 hour small group guided discussion on the topic area facilitated by 2 trained facilitators. The topics are: Program Introduction, sharing Caregiving Stories and an introduction to Self Management; Community Connections; Session 3 and 4 are chosen by the participants during session 1 from 6 possible options: Communication in your relationship; Cognition, Memory and Personhood; Dealing with your Emotions; Managing your Stress; Changing roles in your relationships and How to be Caregiver Smart?
Other Name: FICSS Program

The modules in the program are: 1) Program Introduction, sharing Caregiving Stories and an introduction to Self Management; 2) Community Connections; Session 3 and 4 are chosen by the participants during session 1 from 6 possible options: Communication in your relationship; Cognition, Memory and Personhood; Dealing with your Emotions; Managing your Stress; Changing roles in your relationships and How to be Caregiver Smart? The programs provides education, information and strategies to deal with the areas that caregivers struggle with as caregivers in order to help them feel better able to prepared to manage as caregivers. Also, the investigators also hope to develop some beginning understanding of when is the best time to provide the program to stroke caregivers to be most helpful to them in their caregiving role.