Enhancing Quality of Life: The Impact of Social Networks, Collective Efficacy, and Physical Environment on Home-Based Rehabilitation for Stroke Survivors “EQL”

This project, "Enhancing Quality of Life Post-Stroke" (EQL[1]stroke), aims to improve stroke rehabilitation at home for older adults. The focus is to enhance self-management, an essential component of holistic home-based rehabilitation. EQL addresses a critical and urgent issue, unmet needs of individuals rehabilitated from a stroke in a home setting.

Transforming care and rehabilitation to home is an escalating trend [1-3].

As acknowledged by the European Stroke Organization (ESO) [4] and the Stroke Association for Europe (SAFE) [5], there is a significant gap in current health services for persons with stroke, particularly in self-management, social networks and interactions with the physical environment.

EQLs goal is to deliver an intervention (called network-efficacy intervention) that can be implemented and scaled up across Europe.

The intervention has three integrated parts: strengthening social networks, fostering collective efficacy, and creating supportive physical environments.

Using a mixed-method approach and participatory design, it explores how these factors impact the quality of life and well-being of older persons rehabilitated from a stroke at home.

The project will involve older persons with stroke, relatives, and healthcare professionals in a co-creative process to design the intervention.

By this, we contribute to the sustainability of healthcare systems, especially in the face of limited resources and a growing population of older adults, often with complex long-term conditions.

Considering the increasing demands for self-management and person-centred care (WHO) [6], we create solutions that meet these needs and increase the quality of health services.

ESO [4]and SAFE [5] state an urgent need for enhanced quality of long-term care, social integration, and community participation for persons with stroke.

They note alarming disparities in post-stroke support across and within European countries, indicating that this area needs to be addressed.