ObjectiveTo understand the status and risk factors of care ability among main caregivers of stroke patients.MethodsA total of 395 stroke patients and their main caregivers were enrolled in the Department of Neurology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University from August 2017 to February 2018. General data of the patients and their main caregivers were collected. The caring ability of the main caregivers was assessed by the family care test inventory. Connor- Davision Resilience Scale and Mishel Uncertainty in Illness Scale-Family Member Form were used to assess the psychological resilience and uncertainty illness of caregivers. Single factor analysis and multiple linear regression analysis were all used to explore the risk factors.ResultsThe care ability of the main caregivers of stroke patients was basically at a high level. Multivariate analysis showed that patients’ age [non-standardized partial regression coefficient (b)=−0.051, 95% confidence interval (CI) (−0.079, −0.024), P<0.001], family income [b=−0.455, 95%CI (−0.770, −0.141), P=0.005], and activities of daily living ability at admission [b=−0.017, 95%CI (−0.029, −0.006), P=0.003], and caregivers’ sleeping status [b=0.636, 95%CI (0.340, 0.932), P<0.001], scores of resilience [b=−0.143, 95%CI (−0.202, −0.083), P<0.001] and illness uncertainty [b=−0.127, 95%CI (−0.153, −0.100), P<0.001] were influencing factors of caregivers’ care ability.ConclusionsThe main caregivers of stroke patients have good care ability. The older the patients are, the higher the family income is, and the better the ability of activities of daily living at admission is, the better the caregivers’ care ability they have. The better the caregivers’ sleep is, and the stronger the caregivers’ psychological resilience and uncertainty of disease are, the better the caring ability they have. It is suggested that we should pay more attention to the physical and mental status of caregivers, raise their awareness of stroke, teach them relevant knowledge and care skills, so as to lighten the physical and mental burden of caregivers, improve the prognosis of patients and finally improve the quality of life of patients and their caregivers.