Has someone close to you had a stroke?
University of ManchesterOpen to: Adults that have provided care for someone they care about who has experienced a stroke at least one year agoDeadline: 31 August 2023Apply: You take part by contacting bethany.harcourt@postgrad.manchester.ac.uk or 07907078901.Contact: If you have any questions please contact bethany.harcourt@postgrad.manchester.ac.uk or 07907078901.
We are researching, as part of a doctorate thesis, to understand the experience of adults providing support or care for a friend or family member after their stroke.
We would like to complete an interview with you to:
- Learn from your experience of providing support
- Hear your views about terminology used by professionals (e.g. carers, caregivers)
- Understand how and when someone may come to identify themselves as providing care
As someone whose life has been affected by stroke, you have a unique insight that we value. We would like to hear your individual experience and ideas. We know that providing care can be very different for each person.
We hope that this research will help improve future support for people who care for someone who has experienced a stroke.
Research participation requests are sent to the Stroke Association from external research institutions (e.g. universities and hospitals).
We conduct checks on these before promoting but are not involved in their running. This means we cannot comment on trials and have no affiliation with them.
What is the opportunity about?
Every 5 minutes someone in the UK has a stroke. The impact of stroke reaches far beyond the stroke survivor, affecting the lives of family and friends who often provide essential long-term care. But we don’t know enough about family and friends’ adjustment to this life-changing situation, nor when and how they adopt duties of a caring and supportive nature.
Caring for a loved one can be challenging and isolating so this study aims to improve UK services so that they offer family and friends the support they need for their own good health and well-being.
What will it involve?
If you consent to take part you would complete a single interview with Bethany.
Your involvement in this study is important to us, so we would work with you to find suitable ways that fit your current circumstances. Bethany would contact you, to agree a time and place that is convenient for you. The interview can be face to face, or remote (i.e. via Zoom or telephone). If you prefer face to face, Bethany could visit you in your home, or arrange to meet you at a local venue or in an office at the University. All venues will be assessed by Bethany to make sure they are suitable to complete an interview in.
We allow up to an hour and a half for the interview, although it may be shorter. You would be encouraged to take breaks as you wish. If you prefer to split the interview over more than one occasion Bethany can do that.
Including the length of the interview and allowing time for you to read this information sheet and ask any questions you may have, we estimate that the total amount of time required to participate in this study would be a maximum of 3 hours. Although it is likely to be shorter than this.
The interview will be audio recorded to allow the researcher to focus on you and to transcribe and analyse the data accurately after the interview. If the interview is completed over Zoom, this will be audio recorded using Zoom audio-recording software, to allow the same process of transcription and data analysis.
All audio recordings will only be available to people within the research team and will be destroyed as soon as possible following transcription of data. We require your consent for the interview to be audio-recorded, and to enable you to take part in the study.
After the interview, Bethany will provide you with a debrief sheet which offers more information about the study, and you can ask any questions that you have. Details of organisations and services that currently offer support will be included in the sheet. If you require an additional debrief a few days after completing the interview, please inform Bethany of this, and this will be arranged.
Your participation in the study will then be complete. Bethany will write to you to confirm this. If you consented to receive a summary of the study findings these will follow once all interviews are complete, so it may be a long time before you receive these.
Who can take part?
We invite you take part if you are:
Aged 18 or older
A UK resident
Someone you care about had a stroke at least one year ago, and this affected your life
You provided care for the individual who experienced the stroke
Everyone’s experience is valuable, even if the stroke occurred many years ago, or sadly the person has since died.We need a wide range of views from around 20 people from diverse social, ethnic and cultural backgrounds.
What will you get from taking part?
Having consulted with our advisory group (family members of stroke survivors) this study will not offer payment for participation. However, any travel expenses would be reimbursed e.g. if you choose to travel to the university to be interviewed.
We do hope though that this research will help improve future support for people who care for someone who has experienced a stroke.
How can I take part?
If you are interested in taking part in this research project, or would like further information, please contact Bethany Harcourt at bethany.harcourt@postgrad.manchester.ac.uk or 07907078901.
Information on taking part in research
Research participation helps research teams to test new ideas and approaches by sharing information or trying new approaches in clinical trials.
Taking part in clinical trials can support research to:
- Stop strokes from happening.
- Treat strokes.
- Support stroke survivors and their families to rebuild their lives.
By taking part in research, you can help us to learn more about stroke and make a difference in the lives of future stroke survivors.
Find out how our research has made a difference in the lives of people affected by stroke.
We have produced the Clinical Trials and Stroke booklet to explain more about clinical trials and answer questions you might have about taking part. The booklet was produced with the NIHR Clinical Research Network.