Patienters upplevelser av att leva med stroke - en litteraturstudie
Background: Living with stroke not only means coping with physical limitations, but a stroke also leads to other losses, which in various ways may change an individual?s life. A nurse can play a significant role in regards to consequences in the ordinary day of life for patients with stroke. Aim: The aim of this literature study was to describe patients? experiences living with stroke. Method: A literature study was conducted through a search of articles in Medline. Results: The result was presented through three main headings; how the patient?s daily life has been affected, how the patient?s relations towards others has been affected and how the patient?s thoughts on life and the future has been affected. Conclusions: Living with stroke affects the individual in various ways. What in particular became evident were the consequences of the losses in the daily life and the importance of compensating these losses. We can conclude that a nurse can play a central role in this process, by trying to understand the patient?s experiences and by finding ways of encouraging the patient to, himself, play a more active role in his present situation.