BC Stroke Strategy Rehabilitation & Reintegration

Principal Investigator, Dr. Tal Jarus, and her research team from the Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy at the University of British Columbia, and the Stroke Recovery Association of British Columbia are teaming up to investigate the effects of participation in a stroke recovery program on community reintegration and life satisfaction for stroke survivors and caregivers.

Stroke is the leading cause of long-term neurological disability among older adults. In Canada 300,000 persons live with the effects of stroke, which is the number one neurological cause of disability in Canada (Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada, 2010). More than 90% of these individuals are left with deficits, which significantly and negatively impact both quality of life and individuals’ ability to cope with daily activities of living. Rehabilitation is a vitally important part of recovering from stroke and has been defined by the World Health Organization as a progressive, dynamic, goal-oriented process, which enables an individual with impairments to reach his/her optimal mental, physical, cognitive and social functional level. While there is ample research examining effectiveness of inpatient acute-care stroke rehabilitation, the evidence for the effectiveness of community-based programs and services designed to meet the long-term needs of individuals with stroke is in its infancy, by comparison. The transition from specialized medically-based stroke services to the community where the survivor lives, works, and socializes marks the true beginning of life after stroke. Stroke Recovery Programs (SRP) exists within the province (many led by the Stroke Recovery Association of BC [SRABC]), in order to facilitate long-term stroke survivor recovery and re-integration post-acute care. SRPs are located in a community setting rather than a hospital or health clinic and provide formal and informal social and recreational activities, peer support and educational in-services. Anecdotal evidence suggests community-based recovery programs are beneficial to stroke survivors yet, surprisingly enough, examining the effectiveness of community based programs that provide long-term support service has not been addressed in the literature. Therefore, the purpose of this project is to evaluate the effectiveness of the North Shore Stroke Recovery Center (NSSRC) as an innovative model of long-term support and how it impacts community reintegration and life satisfaction for stroke survivors and caregivers.

Stroke survivors and their caregivers living within the North Shore Community are being invited to take part in this innovative research study. Stroke survivors will be asked to complete questionnaires and perform physical and cognitive assessments related to their health and wellbeing. Participation will be needed at three points of time, at the beginning of the study (now), 6 months and 9 months. The research assistant is able to meet you at your house or at another chosen location on the North Shore to complete the questionnaires and assessments. As an appreciation of your participation, an honorarium will be provided at each time point.

Stroke survivors are eligible to participate in this study if they meet the following criteria (1) are living in the North Shore community and have had a stroke (2) are able to follow three commands in a row in English (3) are able to provide informed consent (4) do NOT have limited performance in life activities due to factors other than stroke (e.g. orthopedic problems).

If you are interested in participating or would like more information, please contact the Research Assistant at:
Email: stroke.study@ubc.ca Phone: 604-822-7412