Upplevelsen att vårda sin make/maka som genomgått en stroke

Sammanfattning: Stroke is one of the most common diseases in Sweden and every year 30 000 individuals are affected. Today it is possible for these persons to continue to live in their homes. Informal caregivers are often the ones who take over the caring responsibility. The aim of this literature study was to describe the spouse´s experience of being an informal carer to a person affected by stroke. The method used was a descriptive synthesis. The material consists of nine scientific research articles. In this study four themes emerged: The experience of change; The experience of loss of freedom and leisure time; The experience of gratefulness, hope and support; The experience of the future, anxiety and guilt and finally The experience of responsibility and control. The result of this study contributes to the nursing practice by highlighting the importance of awareness of these people’s experiences. Prevention is included in the nursing profession and as a nurse it is most important to prevent informal cares from being patients.