Abstract TP383: Younger Caregivers of Stroke Survivors Experience Personal Growth through Caregiving

Title: Younger Care Givers of Stroke Survivors Experience Personal Growth through Caregiving Background: Stroke is the leading cause of disability in the US. One in four patients with stroke is disabled. Providing care to these survivors long term is very burdensome to the family. Wellbeing and respite of care givers (CG) has not been studied well in the past. In this study, we focused on quality of life (QOL) of the young care giver (YCG) of stroke survivors. The Retreat and Refresh Stroke Camp (RRSC), initiated in 2004, offers respite, opportunities to develop new relationships, networking, sharing and education/access to resources. Methods: QOL of CG attending the Retreat and Refresh Stroke Camp (RRSC) in 2016 -2017 was assessed using the Adult Carer Quality of Life Questionnaire (ACQOLQ). YCG were defined as 65 years and younger. The ACQOLQ addresses 8 subcategories of QOL. High (11+) subcategory score indicates high QOL in that category, a score (0-5) indicates low QOL and potential difficulties. Ema...