The Evaluation of a Program of Democritus University of Thrace in Greece, Regarding the Restoration of the Quality of Life of People Who have Suffered a Stroke

Abstract

This paper studies the effect of a program of the Demokriteio University of Thrace, in improving the living conditions of individuals who have experienced a stroke in their lives. The majority of people who experience such an episode are called to manage a new way of life, with many new difficulties daily. This program was designed and implemented to support these individuals. The aim of this research is to capture the ways in which lives of these people were affected, to identify the changes they observed by themselves, to investigate the attitudes they adopted towards the action in question and, to a large extent, to evaluate the program through the participants’ own experiences. The work was based on the principles of applying qualitative research and content analysis. Interviews were conducted with ten participants, with open-ended questions in a semi-structured organizational framework, as provided in the literature. The results yielded a wealth of important information that profiles the actual operation of the program. Positive elements and changes in lives of individuals are highlighted as well as their suggestions for improving or changing some organizational issues. In conclusion, it is established that the offer of the action in question is multidimensional and particularly important, with a wide variety of elements that compose it and also define it. The conclusions of the research can be used in the planning of new corresponding actions or can be a trigger for conducting other research.