Identification of Facilitators and Barriers to Functional Ability in Elderly Stroke Patients: A Descriptive Qualitative Study

Purpose: Stroke can cause long-term disability in elderly individuals, and improving the functional ability of patients is vital. This study sought to determine the facilitators and barriers to functional ability in elderly stroke patients from the perspective of healthy aging and to provide a theoretical basis for precise interventions. Patients and Methods: This study was conducted between December 2023 and January 2024. Eleven patients and eight medical staff from a tertiary hospital were selected for semi-structured interviews using purposive sampling. The interview data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Results: A total of 19 interviewees participated, including 11 patients and eight medical staff members. Among the patients, four had hemorrhagic stroke and seven had ischemic stroke; ages ranged from 60 to 77 years. Among the medical staff, five had bachelor's degrees and three had master's degrees; ages ranged from 30 to 47 years. Five major themes were identified, including 16 sub-themes. Key themes included: medical service factors, health belief factors, patient factors, family factors, and social/environmental factors. Conclusion: The core elements for improving the functional ability of patients are establishing a service model of multidisciplinary teamwork; guaranteeing the continuity of in-hospital and home rehabilitation; enriching the form and content of health education to improve patient knowledge of the disease; providing psychological support to alleviate patients' negative emotions; and establishing of effective social safeguards and support systems.