Revised A day in stroke rehabilitation: Exploring different inpatient experiences

The purpose of this research is to provide insight into the various ways stroke patients use and interact with the built environment during their inpatient stay in rehabilitation clinics. Re-habilitation clinics are multi-story buildings where stroke patients live for weeks or months to re-ceive intensive individualised therapies. Regardless of their impairments and abilities, patients are commonly accommodated in the same ward types with shared therapy rooms. They are generally inactive during rehabilitation, and the built environment's impact on patient experience and recov-ery is still unclear. Five stroke patients (LOS on the observation day ranging from 7 to 128 days) were shadowed for one whole day, each in a different clinic. They were all wheelchair users in the same rehabilitation phase. Patients' movements in the clinic, their comments, the spaces they vis-ited, and the challenges they encountered were recorded. A patient survey accompanied shadowing. The physical barriers that patients encountered, the level of dependence on staff members, how much they relied on various built environment elements (e.g., handrails) for mobility support, and their spatial preferences varied considerably. Their use of free time during the day and amount of socialisation with others also differed. While some patients may greatly benefit from a supportive and barrier-free environment, others may find that a more challenging environment with training opportunities contributes better towards their recovery. These differences in patients' behaviours and experiences may help to inform the design of rehabilitation environments.