title: Early supported discharge following mild stroke: a qualitative study of patients' and their partners' experiences of rehabilitation at home.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Early supported discharge (ESD) allows mild-to-moderate stroke patients to return home as soon as possible and continue rehabilitation at their own pace in familiar surroundings. Thus, the main responsibility for continued rehabilitation is in the hands of patients and their partners, who must collaborate to adjust to poststroke everyday life. However, couples' joint experiences of stroke, early discharge and rehabilitation at home remain minimally investigated.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate how mild stroke patients' and their partners' experience and manage everyday life in a context of ESD.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted qualitative interviews with a purposive sample of 22 ESD patients and 18 partners. Interviews were conducted 3-6 weeks after stroke, and we used thematic analysis to analyse the data.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The analysis identified three themes. First, 'Home as a healing place' involved the couples' experiences of a well-informed discharge from hospital. They trusted the health professionals' assessment that the patient was ready to go home. They described home as a comforting and calm place, where recovery could meaningfully take place. The second theme, 'Flow of everyday life', comprised the experiences of adapting to and continuing everyday life. Most of the interviewees had relatively minor physical and cognitive impairments, and the patients and their partners were hopeful for a full recovery in the foreseeable future. Finally, 'Professional safety net' involved the much appreciated stroke team. Although most of the participants only had one visit from the team, knowing that they were an accessible resource was very important to the couples.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  ESD was experienced as a meaningful and adequate rehabilitation service that allowed patients and partners to collaboratively reinvent and rebuild their flow of everyday life by jointly adjusting routines, activities and their relationship.
authors.affiliation: CFK- Public Health & Quality Improvement, Central Denmark Region, Aarhus N, Denmark.
authors.forename: Stina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lou
authors.affiliation: CFK- Public Health & Quality Improvement, Central Denmark Region, Aarhus N, Denmark.
authors.forename: Kathrine
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Carstensen
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation, Horsens Regional Hospital, Horsens, Denmark.
authors.forename: Marie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Møldrup
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine/Geriatrics, Randers Regional Hospital, Randers, Denmark.
authors.forename: Seham
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shahla
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Viborg Regional Hospital, Viborg, Denmark.
authors.forename: Elias
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Zakharia
authors.affiliation: CFK- Public Health & Quality Improvement, Central Denmark Region, Aarhus N, Denmark.|Department of Public Health, Aarhus University, Aarhus C, Denmark.
authors.forename: Camilla Palmhøj
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Nielsen
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003718:Denmark; D005260:Female; D006699:Home Care Services; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010351:Patient Discharge; D036301:Qualitative Research; D020521:Stroke / Q000628:therapy*; D000071939:Stroke Rehabilitation
keywords: disruption; early supported discharge; home rehabilitation; qualitative research; stroke