Who cares about caregivers? Spanish system network of support for stroke patients' caregivers

Stroke is the first cause of disability in Spain. Each year, 150.000 people suffer from stroke, ending up in full recovery or, more generally, surviving with different cognitive and physical difficulties (eg. aphasia, lack of movement in lower/upper limbs, etc). In the latter case, the patients life dramatically changes and so does the caregiver s: leisure time, intimate relations, job, child care and other relevant vital areas are affected. Since the caregiver usually continues with his/her regular life plus the responsibility of assuring the patient s welfare, they may experience high doses of stress, burn out, depression, irritability. Together with the healthcare network which provides assistance to patients aiming to rehabilitate the affected functions, in Spain there is also care intervention for caregivers. However, the aims of this intervention are not unanimous and its availability is scarce and dispersed among the different Spanish regions. The intervention comes both from the private and public system, with no standarized protocol ellaborated. In this presentation I will offer a panoramic view of this system, showing the different perspectives about what needs the caregivers are supposed to harbor (from centers which offer breath breaks , as free time for the caregiver while the patient is engaged in some group activity to centers offering individual and direct psychological assistance to relatives). I will also highlight the weak points of this care system, in which the main criticism is the imposition of a self-guided and too restricted in age access to the service.