Stroke Rehabilitation Utilizing Therapeutical Methods Designed for Nature Environments

Outpatient Stroke Rehabilitation Supported by Nature Interventions

Outpatient participants with a recent stroke diagnoses receive complimentary rehabilitation. The nature interventions include ergo- and physiotherapeutic and neurocognitive tasks with the support of an psychotherapeutic frame designed to be performed in a nature environment.

Patients with an acute stroke are recruited to the study when signing out from the acute hospital care services. The patients are selected randomly into two groups: intervention and control groups in proportions 1:1. During the four-week study period the partipants in the control group are encouraged to maintain light physical activity 1 to 3 times per week with or without company. The research worker contacts the participants every week. In the nature group the research worker organises individual nature visits in the nearby nature twice a week and encourages the participants to go outdoors with a close-one once a week. All interventional contacts in the nature group are performed in a ecopsychotherapeutical frame consisting of ergo- and physiotherapeutic and neurocognitive tasks.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Acute stroke

Exclusion Criteria:

• Traumatic intracranial bleeding without stroke
• A malign, aggressive disease
• Severe aphasia or incapable of independent decision making