| Continuing stroke rehabilitation at home is a very | | | | rehabilitation skills from hospital-based caregivers |
| important factor for the long-term recovery of | | | | to patients and home-based caregivers, which are |
| patients. Studies show that once stroke patients | | | | mostly family members. |
| are released from hospitals their treatments | | | | Called Constraint-Induced (CI) Movement Therapy, |
| become spare or are not given the same | | | | the program is composed of 3 components |
| attention anymore. | | | | including a transfer package. CI Therapy is more |
| Data from a 2005 survey conducted in U.S. | | | | of a behavioral intervention program that |
| states by BRFSS show that only 30.7% of stroke | | | | harnesses neuroplasticity to the advantage of the |
| survivors receive outpatient rehabilitation causing | | | | patient borne from 20 years of study. |
| lower rates of patients recovering better | | | | The transfer package of the program is a set of |
| functional status and quality of life. Studies also | | | | techniques that will help patients apply learnings |
| show that less than 10% of those who had a | | | | from their lab into their life after it. This includes |
| stroke within two years received occupational or | | | | having progress diaries, phone calls with therapists, |
| physical therapy. The numbers showed that | | | | behavioral contracts, as well as physical restraint |
| patients who did receive therapy reported lower | | | | of using their arm outside the training setting. |
| levels of disability and problems over time. | | | | Psychologists have discovered that patients who |
| Meanwhile, patients who received continuous, | | | | received their transfer package under their CI |
| long-term rehabilitation benefited in learning new | | | | Therapy program were the only ones who |
| strategies to compensate for abilities lost, forged | | | | improved significantly and had a significant |
| new neuronal connections to bypass injured brain | | | | increase in gray matter as compared to those |
| cells, minimized medical complications and reduced | | | | who did not. Their research also showed that |
| the risk of another stroke, and made the most of | | | | psychologists can use their expertise in directly |
| functional abilities. | | | | augmenting physical problems. |
| The rising cause of therapy and fees of | | | | There is now an increasing need to educate |
| therapists and professional caregivers is one of | | | | therapists in this kind of approach so that they will |
| the factors that hinder this. Behavioral constraints | | | | have better understanding of their patients and |
| also come into play such as the patient not | | | | become more effective and consistent in the |
| wanting to attend follow-up treatment, especially | | | | care of stroke patients. There is also a need to |
| for those who suffered minor stroke after they | | | | standardize the process among hospitals for |
| have started to feel better or have become | | | | releasing the patient already, such that they too |
| independent already. But the biggest gap comes in | | | | must incorporate a transfer package as well. |
| the transfer of technology to those who will | | | | Indeed, continuing stroke rehabilitation at home is |
| actually use it. | | | | very important as the stroke survivor attains |
| Due to this, psychologists from the University of | | | | many benefits from it. It must be given priority |
| Alabama in Birmingham have come up with a | | | | being crucial for the stroke survivor's continuous |
| program for the effective transfer of | | | | recovery. |