[Purpose] The aim of this study was to determine the incidence rate as well as the location and timing of falls and performance of activities of daily living (ADL) in 256 patients with stroke who were admitted to an 88-bed rehabilitation ward. [Methods] A retrospective study design was employed to gather information on falls and the level of ADL upon admission and discharge from patients’records. [Results] Of 273 falls among 121 of the 256 patients, 229 occurred in the patient’s room or lavatory, and 129 occurred from 6 to 10 AM or from 4 to 8 PM. 73 patients (53.8%) in the non-faller group required no assistance or only supervision in transferring from a bed to a chair or wheelchair and vice versa. 18 patients (30.5%) in the single-faller group required no assistance or only supervision in transferring, while only 10 patients (15.9%) in the recurrent-faller group required no assistance or supervision in transferring during those activities. Of the 36 patients with motor FIM subscores ≤ 38 and FIM cognitive subscores ≤ 19 at admission, 24 (66.6%) experienced plural falls, whereas 73 (77.7%) of the 94 with FIM motor subscores ≥ 65 and FIM cognitive subscores ≥ 20 did not fall. [Conclusion] Caregivers should be aware that patients are at increased risk of falling within the early morning, late afternoon and early evening. Also, deteriorated motor and cognitive function were associated with a high risk of repeated falls.

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Bone loss and muscle weakness are important medical concerns observed in astronauts after space flight. Even after a short-duration space flight, muscle atrophy and muscle weakness were observed in back, quadriceps and soleus-gastrocnemius muscles. The primary preventive measure against muscle weakness on the ISS has been exercise. The ISS houses a treadmill, a cycle ergometer, and a resistive exercise device. Individualized preflight exercise programs are planned for crew members based on fitness assessments, mission-specific tasks, and the maintenance of optimal health. A preflight exercise program is scheduled for a minimum of two hours a day, three days a week. Inflight exercise prescription will take into consideration available inflight exercise equipment and the specific needs of the individual crew member. Each inflight exercise program shall include components of cardiovascular, resistive and flexibility exercise. A program is scheduled for a minimum of 2.5 hours a day, six days a week. Postflight rehabilitation activities begin when a crew member returns from space flight. The goal of the rehabilitation program is to provide a planned program of recovery that will prevent additional injury, provide progressive improvement in fitness, and enable a full return to the preflight baseline level. A postflight rehabilitation program may include scheduled rest, assisted walking, swimming pool exercise and traditional exercise. Therapeutic massage, whirlpool, heat/ice and passive stretching also may be incorporated.

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Physiatrist's Point of View — Outline of a Nation-wide Survey and Establishment of a Safety Management —…Meigen LIU 149

Nurse's Point of View…Naomi KITASHIRO 155

Physical Therapist's Point of View…Satoshi ENDO 159

Occupational Therapist's Point of View…Yuji HIGASHI 164

Speech-language-hearing Therapist's Point of View…Yuichi SABANO 171

Prosthetist's and Orthotist's Point of View…Akihiko KURIYAMA 176

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