Environmental enrichment in stroke care units – a single case intervention study

Healthcare environments are part of a sustainable community building. Physical and social activity is an important factor in patients´ ability to recover from a stroke.

Early rehabilitation after stroke could promote better health outcomes and that the rehabilitation process is likely to be promoted if the patient is engaged in physical activities or social interactions. Research has shown that patients who have a stroke are often inactive and alone in their patients’ room.

The design of the physical environment and how the environment can support the patient´s care and activities on a stroke unit are referred to as an enriched environment.

An enriched environment is described as an environment that is appropriate, stimulating and that contains challenges for patients.

In animal models, an enriched environment has been shown to promote neuroplasticity, which facilitates improved recovery of motor and cognitive function. Research on stroke units regarding the benefits of enriching an environment is still vague.

The main purpose of this study is to evaluate how an enriched environment on a stroke unit affects the patient´s physical and social activity.

The outputs of the project will contribute to knowledge on how to enhance patients physical and social activity after stroke.

This study therefore wants to study how an enriched environment compared to an unenriched environment affects the physical and social activity of persons with stroke and how persons with a stroke experience an enriched environment.