Bmc Neurol
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Convalescent rehabilitation wards assist stroke patients in acquiring skills for activities of daily living to increase the likelihood of home discharge. However, an improvement in activities of daily living does not necessarily imply that patients are discharged home. We investigated the characteristics of patients with putaminal haemorrhage who are discharged home following convalescence in rehabilitation wards. ⋯ Although the presence of cohabitating family members was important, the factor most strongly influencing home discharge was the patient's activities of daily living status at the time of discharge. For patients who lived alone before stroke, physical and cognitive functions must be maintained for them to be discharged home after rehabilitation.