Community Reintegration
Community Reintegration – A return to participation in desired and meaningful activities of daily living, community interests and life roles following a stroke event. The term encompasses the return to mainstream family and active community living and continuing to contribute to one’s social groups and family life. Community reintegration is a component in the continuum of care post-stroke; rehabilitation helps clients identify meaningful goals for community reintegration and through structured interventions facilitates resumption of these activities to the best of their abilities. The stroke survivor, family, friends, stroke recovery associations, rehabilitation programs and the community at large are all integral to successful community reintegration.
Successful community reintegration may require health services and community-support services that aim to optimize patient and family functioning and maximize quality of life after return to the community. To achieve these goals, the following are examples of services that may be required for stroke patients, their families and informal caregivers: social support, monitoring of caregiver burden and depression and family interactions, family education interventions, adaptation of social and leisure activities post stroke, leisure therapy, and encouragement to actively participate in all aspects of society.
The following resources support community reintegration goals:
- Exercise After Stroke
- Aerobic Exercise Recommendations to Optimize Best Practices in Care After Stroke
- e-Aerobics module
- Patient’s Guide: How Aerobic Activity Can Help You After a Stroke
- Community Exercise Guidelines
- Role of Exercise after Stroke
- TIME Program
- FAME Program
- Step #1 – Exercise and Mobility – Stroke Recovery Assoc. BC
Healthline
The Canadian Stroke Best Practices state that persons with stroke, their families and caregivers should be provided with information related to community services specific to the transition they are undergoing. thehealthline.ca is an online database of community and health resources available across the province. The Stroke Resources micro-site of thehealthline.ca helps individuals, caregivers and healthcare providers find health and community services that address community re-engagement needs following stroke.
Click below to access the Stroke Resources Micro-site on your local healthline site:
- Simcoe-Muskoka: NSMHEALTHLINE
- York Region: CENTRALHEALTHLINE
- Durham and HKPR: CENTRALEASTHEALTHLINE
- Healthline instructional videos
Living with Stroke ™
The Heart and Stroke Living with Stroke ™ program is a community-based support and educational program designed for stroke survivors and their caregivers to gain confidence in managing the challenges of living with stroke.
Stroke Support Groups
To find the stroke support group in your local area click here.
