Informal caregiver training to address functional mobility limitations of stroke survivors: a scoping review

Informal caregivers of stroke survivors often report the need for training on how to care for a loved one with functional mobility limitations. Evidence on training interventions to help informal caregivers with issues related to mobility is varied. The objective of this scoping review was to examine the literature including skill-based training interventions that educate caregivers on functional mobility for stroke survivors.

We extracted studies from OVID Medline, Cochrane, ISI Web of Knowledge, and Embase published between 1990 and 2021. At every stage of assessment, data extraction forms were used to reach consensus among at least three out of four authors. We followed PRISMA-ScR guidelines and Arskey and O'Malley's framework to chart information into several tables based on research questions and summarized with descriptive statistics.

Most studies were conducted outside the US focused on training in mobility and activities of daily living. The stroke survivor, on average, was an older individual (mean age 64.8 [SD = 5.3] years). The informal caregiver was predominately a younger female spouse (mean age 54.2 [SD = 6.3]). More than a third of the studies reported improvement in the stroke survivors' physical function post-intervention, with a mean follow-up time of 4.4 months. Effective studies tended to include stroke survivors with less cognitive and functional mobility limitations at higher training dosages.

Gaps in our understanding of informal caregiver training for those caring for stroke survivors are identified, and recommendations are provided for future research.