A Caregiver-mediated Intervention Improves the Functional Ability of Home-living Chronic Stroke Patients

Asia University

Status: Completed

Conditions: Stroke

Treatments: Other: Care-giver mediated training

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT01693341

CT-tsaiac1943

Details and patient eligibility

About

To examine the feasibility of improving stroke patients' physical functional recovery and social participation through improving caregiver's care capability.

Full description

In the hospital, most rehabilitation units are like sheltered workshops and the therapists work with stroke patients in well-designed, but non-home-like, environment to improve the stroke patient's functional ability. After returning home, stroke patients face new challenges and also need to assume more responsibility for daily activities. Without continuing rehabilitation training or proper support, the patients can easily fall into a sedentary lifestyle and lead to declines in functional ability.However, providing home-based exercise by therapists directly would increase the health care cost and may not be practical for chronic stroke patients. Hence, the objective of the present study was to determine whether a caregiver-mediated, home-based intervention program is effective for improving stroke patients' functional ability and social participation.

Enrollment: 50 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 85 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

1. >6 months post first stroke with mild to moderate disability (Brunnstrom stage III-V)
2. No longer undertaking active rehabilitation program(defined as ≤2 times/wk rehabilitation activities)

Exclusion criteria

1. Recurring strokes
2. Mental or cognitive impairment
3. Severe orthopedic disability or unstable medical conditions (such as severe rheumatoid arthritis or acute myocardial infarction)
4. Caregiver with mental/behavioral disorders

Trial design

Primary purpose: Health Services Research

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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50 participants in 2 patient groups

Care-giver mediated training

Active Comparator group

Description:

Each patient and the caregiver of the intervention group received weekly home training and exercise counseling by a physical therapist about the caregiver mediated home exercise skill for stroke patient. The training program were progress weekly based on the patient's need.

Treatment:

Other: Care-giver mediated training

Standard-care

No Intervention group

Description:

Maintain the inherent standard-care