Oral health‐related quality of life of stroke survivors on discharge from hospital after rehabilitation

The study aimed to investigate oral health-related quality of life (OHR-QoL) of stroke survivors on hospital discharge after rehabilitation. It was a cross-sectional study involving 43 elderly survivors of mild to moderate stroke about to be discharged from hospital after rehabilitation and a comparison group of 43 community-dwelling elderly people. The Medical Outcomes Short Form 36 (SF-36) measure, the General Oral Health Assessment Index (GOHAI) and an oral health transition scale were administered prior to a dental examination. Median SF-36 subscale scores were significantly different between groups (P 0.05). Health-related quality of life in general was significantly poorer after stroke although patients were considered physically well enough to be discharged from hospital. There was some impairment of OHR-QoL. The nature of the stroke, the hospital environment including diet, coping strategies and elderly Chinese peoples' perception of health should be taken into account when interpreting measures of health status in stroke survivors.