Deans' stroke musings: What people say about travelling outdoors after their stroke: a qualitative study

Changing stroke rehab and research worldwide now.Time is Brain! trillions and trillions of neurons that DIE each day because there are NO effective hyperacute therapies besides tPA(only 12% effective). I have 523 posts on hyperacute therapy, enough for researchers to spend decades proving them out. These are my personal ideas and blog on stroke rehabilitation and stroke research. Do not attempt any of these without checking with your medical provider. Unless you join me in agitating, when you need these therapies they won't be there.

What this blog is for:

My blog is not to help survivors recover, it is to have the 10 million yearly stroke survivors light fires underneath their doctors, stroke hospitals and stroke researchers to get stroke solved. 100% recovery. The stroke medical world is completely failing at that goal, they don't even have it as a goal. Shortly after getting out of the hospital and getting NO information on the process or protocols of stroke rehabilitation and recovery I started searching on the internet and found that no other survivor received useful information. This is an attempt to cover all stroke rehabilitation information that should be readily available to survivors so they can talk with informed knowledge to their medical staff. It lays out what needs to be done to get stroke survivors closer to 100% recovery. It's quite disgusting that this information is not available from every stroke association and doctors group.

Tuesday, May 31, 2016

What people say about travelling outdoors after their stroke: a qualitative study

We absolutely need outdoor experiences post-stroke. Demand you get some. A doctor was insistent that I not watch an outdoor whitewater slalom race during a weekend pass due to the possibility of falling and bleeds due to warfarin use. I ignored her.

Glancing at greenery can boost concentration levels

Residential exposure to visible blue space (but not green space) associated with lower psychological distress in a capital city

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22272885

Barnsley L¹, McCluskey A, Middleton S.

Author information

Abstract

BACKGROUND/AIM:

Reduced walking ability and loss of confidence are common after stroke. Many people cannot drive or use public transport, which can restrict participation. This qualitative study aimed to explore the experiences and attitudes of people following stroke to travelling outdoors early after hospital discharge.

METHODS:

Two semi-structured interviews were conducted with 19 people post-stroke, all of whom were receiving rehabilitation to increase outdoor travel. Mean age was 68.6 years (SD 11.7years). Eight significant others also participated. Interviews were conducted at home (median 21 days post-discharge), with a second interview three months later. Questions focussed on common destinations, modes of travel including driving when relevant and factors that influenced outdoor travel. Qualitative data were analysed using constant comparative (grounded theory) methods, resulting in themes and categories.

RESULTS:

People with stroke were categorised as either a hesitant or confident explorer, in relation to walking, catching public transport and driving. Factors influencing outdoor travel included their emotional disposition, having meaningful destinations, expectations of recovery and the sphere of influence, including family and therapists. These factors could have an enabling or restricting effect. A pre-stroke walking habit also positively contributed to outdoor travel. Gate-keeping by therapists, general practitioners and family members seemed to adversely affect travel.

CONCLUSIONS:

This emerging theory offers insights into the experiences and attitudes to outdoor travel of people who were ambulant and participating in community rehabilitation following a stroke. Future research could explore the experiences of people with more severe mobility, cognitive and communication problems.
© 2011 The Authors. Australian Occupational Therapy Journal © 2011 Occupational Therapy Australia.