Stroke can affect a wide range of a person’s abilities, including movement, sensation, thinking, memory, and communication. Rehabilitation in stroke units helps patients to regain these abilities, however many will continue to have difficulties with day-to-day activities after they leave hospital. Stroke survivors and their families need information about how much they are likely to recover and how long this might take. This can help them engage with rehabilitation, make decisions, plan for the future, and adjust to any continuing difficulties.
Currently many stroke survivors and families do not receive enough information about recovery. Stroke unit staff can also find this information difficult to provide, particularly when it involves breaking bad news. Staff need to provide clear, consistent, and realistic information to their patients about recovery with compassion, whilst being careful that this information doesn’t discourage them from taking part in rehabilitation. However, they receive little training in how to do this and can lack confidence.
