Community care after stroke.
BACKGROUND
The key to life after stroke is to harness the best secondary preventive strategies and maximise functional outcome.


OBJECTIVE
This article discusses key assessment and secondary prevention strategies for the initial, and subsequent, general practitioner visits by patients poststroke.


CONCLUSIONS
Key to successful community medical treatment is an accurate diagnosis of the index event, as secondary preventive strategies differ depending on the pathology of stroke. There are hundreds of evidence based rehabilitation strategies to help improve aspects of stroke disability, and there is now good evidence to be more optimistic about brain recovery. Rehabilitation strategies can be effective after hospital discharge, and can help improve function should this deteriorate long after the initial stroke. Sadly, some people are left very disabled after stroke. When there is no prospect of further functional recovery, priorities should switch to overseeing complex care plans and providing appropriate comfort measures.
Westmead Hospital, The University of Sydney, New South Wales. richard_lindley@wmi.usyd.edu.au
Richard I
RI
Lindley
D001315:Australia; D003266:Continuity of Patient Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D010346:Patient Care Management / Q000458:organization & administration; D020521:Stroke / Q000451:nursing; D000071939:Stroke Rehabilitation