Abstract:

BACKGROUND: Studies demonstrated that there are no significant differences between the general hospital and day care training center in functional maintenance and life quality of patients. However, there are few studies concerning the difference of limb functions and influencing factors in patients with chronic stroke. 
OBJECTIVE: Following up elderly patients with chronic stroke undergoing long-term rehabilitation treatment to compare the results from different facilities in order to take appropriate strategies for rehabilitation treatment for functional maintenance of elder patients with chronic stroke.  
METHODS: Totally 119 elderly patients (aged 60-75 years) with chronic stroke undergoing rehabilitation treatment at different facilities were recruited in present investigation research program. The differences of functional measurements, including muscle strength of the quadriceps on both paretic side and non paretic side, knee extension and ankle dorsiflexion on the paretic side, and time of 10 meters walking at both first measurement as baseline and second measurement after 1 year were compared between two groups to identify the influencing factors.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Muscle strength of the quadriceps on both paretic and non-paretic side in the hospital group was greater than that of the day care group at both first and second measurements (P < 0.05). The knee extension and ankle dorsiflexion on paretic side was smaller in the hospital group than that of the day care group at first measurement (P < 0.05), but the difference had no significance at 1 year after operation. The result of stepwise regression analysis showed quadriceps on both paretic and non–paretic side, knee extension and ankle dorsiflexion were shown to be significantly effective on improvement of themselves over a year in two groups. In general, muscle strengthening exercise and range of movement of knee extension exercise should be emphasized in specific patients at day care group.