Rehabilitation needs of community stroke patients

The aim was to identify stroke patients not admitted to hospital, to assess their disabilities and the rehabilitation provided.

Stroke patients were notified by General Practitioners, assessed a month after stroke on measures of impairment and disability and the rehabilitation received was recorded. There were 124 patients notified and 93 assessed.

Patients showed an average decline of 1.7 on the Barthel Index and 3.6 on the Extended Activities of Daily Living scale from before to after stroke. There were 27% with severe mobility problems and 47% with clinically relevant arm impairment. Many patients had cognitive impairment with only 9% having no deficit. Mood problems were less common with 26% anxious and 13% depressed. Significant stress occurred in 15% of carers. The provision of rehabilitation was low and there was poor correspondence between impairments and services provided.

There is an unmet potential for rehabilitation in stroke patients not admitted to hospital.