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22. European Stroke Conference 847 Rehabilitation and reorganisation after stroke Is the family of stroke patients involved in exercising in the acute and rehabilitation phase? J.M.A Visser-Meily1, C Schroder2, T van der Weijden3, M Willems4 University Medical Center Utrecht and De Hoogstraat, Rudolf Magnus Institute of Neurosci-ence and Center of Excellence for Rehabilitation Medicine, Utrecht, THE NETHERLANDS1, University Medical Center Utrecht and De Hoogstraat, Rudolf Magnus Institute of Neuroscience and Center of Excellence for Rehabilitation Medicine, Utrecht, THE NETHERLANDS2, Maastricht University, Department of General Practice School Caphri, Maastricht, THE NETHERLANDS3, University Medical Center Utrecht and De Hoogstraat, Rudolf Magnus Institute of Neuroscience and Center of Excellence for Rehabilitation Medicine, Utrecht, THE NETHERLANDS4 Background: Family involvement might play a crucial role in increasing levels of exercise in patient with a stroke in a cost effective way. The aim of the present study was to investigate the current fam-ily involvement in the exercise program of patients in the first 3 months post stroke and to explore the relationship between family involvement and demographic, care and stroke characteristics. Methods: Cross sectional study conducted between June-September 2011. Stroke patients, nurses and therapists in 22 hospitals (H) and rehabilitation centers (RC) were questioned about family in-volvement. Analysis: differences between hospital and rehabilitation center were tested using t test and Chi-square test and correlations using Spearman. Results: 243 patients (table 1), 354 nurses and 174 therapists answered two questions about family involvement. The percentages of patients that reported that their family members were not informed and were not involved in the exercise program ranged from 50 to 77%. In H and RC, on an average working day, nurses reported that they inform a third (one out of six in RC) of their patient’s family on the importance of exercising and they involved a fifth (one out of 10 in RC) of the family mem-bers in the exercise program.Therapists in H informed and involved approximately one out of 6 of their patient’s family members. For therapists in RC this is less (approximately one out of 10). Family involvement only correlated significantly with age (-0.22 in RC, -0.30 in H) and not with gender, Barthel Index, days since stroke. Conclusion: Currently, family members of patients with a stroke are not consistently informed about and involved in the exercising program in the first 3 months post stroke. This suggests that levels of activities of patients might be improved through the involvement of family members. 794 © 2013 S. Karger AG, Basel Scientific Programme


Karger_ESC London_2013
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