Palliative care after stroke survival

Stroke is a leading cause of both death and disability worldwide. While most research has focused on the first hours to days after acute stroke, much less is known about the experience of patients and their families living after a stroke. Stroke survivors have a high burden of physical and psychological symptoms such as pain, fatigue, and depression that are often not addressed in the postacute setting. Similarly, goals-of-care conversations that may have started during the acute hospitalization are often not followed up later. This chapter outlines the prevalence and management of common poststroke symptoms, approaches to postacute goals-of-care conversations, family needs after stroke, and provides an overview of stroke-specific hospice and end-of-life care aspects. We emphasize the need for research in each of these areas.