Factors Inhibiting Home Return of Stroke Patients Living Alone

Abstract

[Purpose] To clarify the factors inhibiting home return of stroke patients living alone. [Participants and Methods] The subjects were 97 stroke patients who were living alone. We conducted hierarchical cluster analysis with variables of outcome, admission Functional Independence Measure (FIM), age, and inpatient days in order to identify groups having difficulty adjusting to discharge, and made comparisons among the groups. We conducted a text mining analysis after investigating the causes of difficulty in adjusting to discharge using a free-form questionnaire addressed to the relevant staff. [Results] The results of the cluster analysis were classified into 4 groups, and the results of text mining analysis were divided into 7 groups. [Conclusion] The results suggest that the factors inhibiting home return of stroke patients living alone were: higher brain dysfunction, motor paralysis, ADL ability, human resources such as family and supporters, financial problems, care insurance adjustment, and disparity between patient hope and reality.