Clinical rationale and guidelines for rehabilitation at home

Abstract

Rehabilitation after stroke or central nervous system injury requires personalized and intensive training to regain functions and abilities that were impaired by the injury. Early after the stroke training is often performed in an inpatient setting because patients are unable to live at home for reasons of dependence on nursing aid. Inpatient rehabilitation also allows for greater training intensity (duration) because patients do not have to take the logistical or financial burden that transport from home to a rehabilitation center poses. But, inpatient rehabilitation is often time limited and training therapy has therefore to continue in the home environment. Home-based therapy can be performed as domiciliary therapy by physical or occupational therapist coming to the house of the patient. However, this approach is often restricted to a few hours of training per week. Developing methods for effective and intense, i.e., more frequent home training are therefore required.