Background: The benefits of engaging informal carers or family in the delivery of therapy intervention for people with stroke have not been well researched.
Objectives: To assess the effectiveness of a home-based carer-assisted in comparison to hospital-based therapist-delivered therapy for community-dwelling stroke survivors.
Methods: An assessor blinded randomised controlled trial was conducted on 91 stroke survivors (mean age 58.9±10.6 years, median time post-onset 13.0 months, 76.5% males) who had completed individual rehabilitation. The control group received hospital-based group therapy delivered by physiotherapists as out-patients and the test group was assigned to a home-based carer-assisted therapy. Targeted primary outcomes were physical functions (mobility, balance, lower limb strength and gait speed). A secondary outcome index was health-related quality of life. An intention-to-treat analysis was used to evaluate outcomes at week 12 of intervention.
Results: Both therapy groups improved significantly in all the functional measures; mobility (p < 0.01), balance (p < 0.01), lower limb strength (p < 0.01), gait speed (p < 0.05), and in the quality of life score (p < 0.05) at trial completion. No statistical differences were found between the two groups in any outcome indices (all p > 0.05).
Conclusions: The home-based carer-assisted therapy is as effective as the hospital-based therapist-delivered training in improving post-stroke functions and quality of life.
Keywords: Stroke; carer; functional outcome; home-based therapy; quality of life.