Comparing 900 stroke survivors included in the 2011 National Health and Aging Trends Study with a similar group of seniors with no prior stroke history, Lesli Skolarus, Vicki Freedman, James Burke, and colleagues found caregiver help averaged about 22 hours per week for the post-stroke seniors and 12 hours a week for the others. “If all of this [post-stroke] care was provided by a paid caregiver, the total cost would be huge,” said Skolarus. “This includes basic and instrumental activities of daily living along with health care, money matters and transportation activities.” The researchers estimated the national value of post-stroke home care services for Medicare recipients at about $27 billion per year, not including all the informal, unpaid help provided by family and friends.

More about Skolarus, Freedman, Burke et al. find home care for stroke survivors averages 22 hours a week and $11,000 a year >