在宅失語症者の家族の介護負担感の継時的変化を明らかにするため,コミュニケーション障害を含む介護負担感の評価を目的に開発された介護負担感評価票を使用し,ある高次脳機能障害サークルに属する失語症者の家族を対象に,遡及的かつ継時的に調査を行った。さらに,当事者サークルに参加後のコミュニケーション面と生活面の変化について半構造的インタビューを実施した。高い負担を感じている家族が多い項目は退院時には31項目中24項目あったが,現在は7項目に減少していた。しかし,言語面の項目における負担感は退院後時間を経ても継続していた。また,失語症に対する理解や適切なリハビリや対応を受けられる場所など,ソーシャルサポート面の項目における負担感は現在も高く,心理・社会的サポート体制の充実が今後の課題と考えられた。サークル参加後の変化より,言語聴覚士がグループ活動を支援することは,在宅失語症者とその家族をサポートする上で有効であることが示された。

This article discusses longitudinal change in the feelings of burden of ten family care-givers looking after persons with aphasia who participate in a peer circle for people with higher brain dysfunction. A newly developed 31-item care-giver burden assessment tool that takes into account the perspectives of care-givers who look after persons with communication disorders was used to assess feelings of burden. The care-givers were asked to judge their feelings of burden at three specific times after the onset of stroke at the time when the person with aphasia was discharged to their home, at the time when the circle started a year before, both retrospectively, and at the present time. In addition, semi-structured interviews were carried out to ask about changes in communication strategies and daily activities with respect to their participation in the circle. Although the number of items care-givers felt burden about frequently decreased from twenty four to seven between the time of discharge and the present, feelings of burden related to communication difficulties continued. The results also show that feelings of burden are related to the lack of social support such as the general public's poor understanding of aphasia and the paucity of appropriate facilities for aphasia rehabilitation. It was felt that the development of a psychosocial support system for persons with aphasia is due. The results of the semi-structured interviews indicated group activities supported by speech therapists during the circle activities positively influenced communication and the daily life of family care-givers and people with aphasia.

原著

Original Article

国立情報学研究所で電子化