Abstract
This paper aims to describe the current situation of people with stroke sequelae in Japan from the perspective of 'exceptional hospitalisation for rehabilitation during the maintenance phase' during the maintenance phase following discharge from a rehabilitation ward during the recovery phase. Specifically, the paper is structured into five sections to address the aforementioned proposition. These are:
(1) Basic knowledge about stroke (cerebrovascular disease);
(2) Stroke and rehabilitation treatment (recovery-phase rehabilitation hospitalisation and post-discharge rehabilitation);
(3) Examples of exceptional 'maintenance-phase rehabilitation hospitalisation';
(4) Institutional factors inhibiting rehabilitation opportunities; and
(5) Basic directions for improving the current situation.
The analysis revealed the significant impact of income levels on the frequency of post-discharge rehabilitation utilisation, the scarcity of maintenance-phase rehabilitation hospitalisation and utilisation-inhibiting aspects inherent in various systems, such as health and long-term care insurance. Consequently, fundamental measures to improve the situation include abolishing or relaxing restrictive policies related to social insurance, and improving official fees for rehabilitation.
