Objective: To address the paucity of information on the content of home interventions for people with stroke by reporting on the practice of physiotherapeutic home-based stroke rehabilitation in New Zealand.
Design: Qualitative research methodology comprising a series of semi-structured interviews.
Setting: Community setting in 6 cities in New Zealand.
Participants: A purposeful sampling strategy recruited 20 physiotherapists working in home-based stroke rehabilitation.
Interventions: Not applicable.
Main outcome measures: Not applicable.
Results: Participants described patients as being fatigued, frustrated, depressed, and scared once discharged home and said that the primary aim of rehabilitation in the home environment is preparation for life after stroke. Physiotherapists aimed at optimal independent functioning by building patients' confidence, self-responsibility, and problem-solving skills while ensuring patient safety. Participants, illustrating the complexities of stroke rehabilitation, described a wide range of interventions. We identified a number of factors that influenced the practice decisions made by participants. The success of intervention was measured more by the successful attainment of carefully set patient-centered goals than by the use of validated outcome measures.
Conclusions: This study presents a conceptual model or framework for physiotherapy practice for people with stroke living in the community.