The transition of stroke survivors from hospital to home
Bernd Ploderer, Jonathon Stuart, Vivian Tran, Theresa Green, Jennifer Muller · 2017
A growing body of HCI research explores designs to support rehabilitation after stroke. While rehabilitation is a major part of a stroke survivor's recovery, it is not the only part that could benefit from HCI work. This paper aims to provide a rich understanding of the work required by stroke survivors and their caregivers when they leave hospital and transition back to the home environment. We conducted a thematic analysis of 318 posts in an Australian online community. The findings highlight the breadth of work on top of rehabilitation and other efforts to manage the impact of their stroke. The outcome of stroke can affect everyday life work, from household chores to transportation to managing relationships. Stroke survivors also engage in biographical work in an attempt to reconstruct their personal narrative. Based on these findings we discuss opportunities for design: managing fatigue, intimate relationships, reflection, and forming a narrative. We hope that these opportunities will encourage HCI work to support people with chronic conditions in their transition back home.