Recovery mechanisms are stronger than expected.

The study was aimed at identifying recovery possibility in elderly patients suffering from a first ever stroke and admitted to rehabilitation with concomitant high disability. From 1998 to 1999 one hundred elderly patients were entered consecutively into this study. Disability was measured by functional independence measure (FIM). The FIM value at admission had a median value 23, which indicated a very high post-stroke disability. At discharge the FIM median value was 33. After one year 41 patients were at home. Their median FIM value was 62.5. Thirty-one patients had died over the interval. The death was mainly due to a new stroke, cardiac diseases or acute pneumonia. Six patients were in a nursing home and 22 could not be studied at follow-up.