Coping and adaptation at six months after stroke: experiences with eating disabilities

Stroke produces a range of enduring impairments and survivors’ coping and adaptation styles are influential features of life after stroke. Many stroke-sequelae affect ability to eat but survivors’ perceptions and responses to these have not been explored. Methods. Survivors of a cohort of patients admitted to hospital with acute stroke March 1998–April 1999 participated in semi-structured interviews in their homes at 6 months post-stroke. Interviews were tape recorded and transcribed; 113 interviews with eating-disabled subjects were entered onto QSR NUD*IST 4 for thematic analysis. Findings. Two major emergent themes of ‘getting back to normal’ and ‘getting by’ were revealed which encompassed a range of responses in relation to food and eating. A high level of congruence was demonstrated with pre-existent frameworks but with some unique features. Reportage demonstrated non-linear and inconsistent effects of impairments within patients’ lives and the importance of this topic for survivors and healthcare professionals was clear.