Home-based Rehabilitation of Stroke Patients

Objective To assess the physical, psychological and social functioning of stroke patients with home-based rehabilitation. Methods Convenient sampling strategy was adopted to select 234 stroke patients discharged from a tertiary hospital rehabilitation center. The patients were assessed using Barthel index (BI), instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) scale, modified rivermead mobility index (mRMI), self-perceived burden scale (SPBS), self-rating depression scale, and Zarit caregiver burden interview (ZBI) during their outpatient visits, household visits, or telephone interviews. Results The patients had an average BI score of 61.77±22.83, 61.11% had mild dependence on daily life. Their IADL score was low at an average of 7.25±6.26. They had 28.90±10.22 in MRMI score and 29.26±7.07 in SPB score. More than 90% had a feeling of self-burden. The caregiver burden score reached 43.97±12.28. Male patients and those with cerebral infarction had better functioning than female patients and those with cerebral hemorrhage. Better physical functioning was demonstrated in those who were younger than 60 yr., experienced more than one year home-based rehabilitation, were cared by relatives, and had a female caregiver. But such differences were not significant in SPBS and ZBI scores. Conclusion Home-based rehabilitation of stroke has failed to achieve anticipated results. The outcomes vary across those with different age, gender, and type of stroke.