Introduction: Stroke is a clinically defined syndrome caused by insufficient blood supply to the brain due to a blocked or ruptured blood vessel. People who have had a stroke usually find it difficult to carry out everyday activities. Occupational therapists try to make it easier for those affected to participate in daily activities and improve their independence by making adaptations in the home environment. Purpose: The aim is to investigate the benefits of occupational therapy strategies in adapting the home environment for people after a stroke. Methods: A systematic literature search was carried out. Three databases were searched for scientific articles: CINAHL, OTSEEKER and PUBMED, in January 2024. The search covered a period from 2014 to 2024. Articles rated with a relevance score of 4 or higher were reviewed using one of the Joanna Briggs Institute's 13 quality assessment tools. Results: The final analysis included 19 articles that met the inclusion criteria. 12 were qualitative studies and 7 were quantitative studies. In the thematic analysis of the articles, 4 themes were formed, within which 6 subthemes were formed. Discussion and conclusion: One of the ways to promote healthy aging and maintain independence is to adapt the home environment and introduce adapted aids, in which occupational therapists play an important role. Adaptations allow a person to be involved in activities that are important to them. This not only promotes independence, but also boosts the individual's confidence, improves social inclusion and overall wellbeing. People who have suffered a stroke are often anxious about their physical independence, which results in them feeling unable to integrate their altered body into their identity. Most people who have had a stroke reported that their occupational function has improved thanks to occupational therapy strategies. The effectiveness of occupational therapy interventions in the home environment has been extensively studied abroad. No source in Slovene was found, which is the reason why the results do not include a Slovene aspect of the problem. This can be seen as a limitation of the results of this work.
|