Abstract:

Stroke often results in one or more serious long-term effects. Older persons who experience stroke typically experience other chronic conditions as well. This article analyses coping strategies of home-based older people who experienced a stroke, focusing on the use of assistive devices. In a sample of 35 older people with stroke, 20% had either moved into a nursing home or had died within a year of an initial interview. The remaining 27 older people were interviewed twice at 1 year intervals. Comparisons were made to determine changes over 1 year for measures of health, functional status, and psychological status, as well as ownership, usage and satisfaction with assistive devices. Three case studies are presented to illustrate how these older persons use assistive devices in coping with the effects of stroke and their other chronic conditions.