Improvement of eating activity by patients after ischemic stroke – use of adaptation in occupational therapy

Abstract

Introduction: Beginning the occupational therapy intervention, an occupational therapist determines what occupational difficulties a patient has during observation and interview. Patients after ischemic stroke belong to one of the groups of recipients of occupational therapy. These people have various difficulties, also in term of Activities of Daily Living and one of these activities may be eating. In this publication, the results are shown of the authors’ pilot study on training in the independent consumption of meals by patients who have undergone ischemic stroke. Materials and methods: As part of the applied intervention, adaptation consisted of using a special wristband in 10 patients, to which cutlery can be attached. The use of the wristband was aimed at enabling patients to eat independently. The following study inclusion criteria were adopted: ischemic stroke no later than six months prior to beginning the study, constraint of the dominant upper limb, preserved mobility of the shoulder and elbow joints in moderate degree and no possibility to hold cutlery. Results: Assessment regarding the significance of eating meals increased after therapy and the p-value reached 0.03. Final assessment concerning the satisfaction of performing the activity was better than initial evaluation, the level of statistical significance reaching 0.005. The duration of performing the activity significantly decreased after applying the proposed adaptation. The results were statistically significant at the level of (p=0.005). Conclusions: The results of the pilot study allow to conclude that the use of the wristband facilitates patients in eating meals themselves. The examined sample pointed to the greater convenience of using cutlery, which as an effect, leads to an increase in satisfaction with performing activities during the final assessment.

Keywords

• occupational therapy
• ischemic stroke
• adaptation