Article

PURPOSE: To examine the views of people with stroke, their 'family
members/friends' and physiotherapists on the role of the family in physiotherapy
and the delivery of exercises following stroke. METHODS: A self-report
questionnaire was administered to 100 'family members/friends' and 75 people with
stroke. Two focus groups were conducted with 10 expert physiotherapists working
in the area of stroke rehabilitation. RESULTS: Family members of people with
stroke are willing to participate in the delivery of unsupervised exercises in
the hospital and the home setting (n = 91). Furthermore, this is also acceptable
to people with stroke (n = 65) as an adjunct to routine physiotherapy.
Physiotherapists highlighted a number of factors that influenced participation in
physiotherapy such as; level of interest and motivation of the family (n = 5),
availability (n = 3) and importance of education (n = 2). 'Family
members/friends' identified reasons that would also limit participation such as
work commitments (n = 24), lack of confidence (n = 20) and unsuitable treatment
times (n = 13). The expert practitioners outlined a number of areas that family
involvement can have an impact, such as treatment carry-over, assisting the
family unit to cope on discharge and improving handling skills. CONCLUSIONS: Our
study identifies an under-utilised role for 'family members/friends' in the
rehabilitation of people with stroke. Family mediated exercises can maximise the
carry-over outside formal physiotherapy giving patients the opportunity for
informal practice. This study highlights the need to examine the value of a
structured programme of exercises that can be delivered to people with stroke by
their 'family members/friends'.

Langue : ANGLAIS