Stroke rehabilitation: assistive technology devices and environmental modifications following primary rehabilitation in hospital--a therapeutic perspective.

The aim of this article is to describe the need for assistive devices and environmental modifications among long-living stroke survivors and to investigate if the need is continued and growing over time. The study sample of 155 consecutive stroke patients with stroke-related impairment, discharged home from three hospitals in Copenhagen from 1996 through 1998, constituted 20% of the total population of stroke survivors in this area. The results showed that 75% of these patients were provided with assistive devices and/or environmental modifications at discharge. Six months after discharge the proportion was 81%. The aids most frequently prescribed were bath seats, aids for mobility, grab bars, and removal of door thresholds. At follow-up 3-5 years later, 74% of the survivors were seen (76 patients). Almost all of the survivors were dependent on assistive devices and/or environmental modifications, most frequently wheelchairs and aids for walking and bathing. In addition there was a significant increase in aids for cooking/eating and reading/hearing/writing adaptations. Of those devices abandoned, most were aids for the household. These findings suggest that home visits by therapists should be required in order to target stroke survivors' changing needs for assistive devices and environmental modifications.