OBJECTIVE: To analyze the effectiveness of social recovery (trip to the store by bus and making purchases) in elderly patients with stroke in the right middle cerebral artery undergoing a course of specialized trainings in a complex of functional spatially oriented rehabilitation. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study involved 44 patients with previous stroke (mean age 70.8 +/- 3.1 years) randomized into 2 equal groups: main group -- basic standard of rehabilitation (exercises with instructor, mechanotherapeutic technique with cyclic simulators, massage of paretic limbs) and training of social adaptation in a complex of functional spatially oriented rehabilitation; control group -- basic standard of rehabilitation alone. Duration of rehabilitation course was 14 days. To determine mean norm of timing of complex training of socially significant skill, we asked 23 volunteers without severe comorbidities to perform tasks of functional spatially oriented rehabilitation. RESULTS: After complex rehabilitation program, we found significant dynamics of time necessary for the following actions: "take a bag and hang it over shoulder", "open the pockets of the bag with a zipper (2 pockets)", "take the jacket off the hanger and put it on", "take the products from the basket and put in the pocket". Moreover, the main group was characterized by significantly lower impairment of daily activity (Barthel score 66.3 +/- 4.5 versus baseline 45.7 +/- 4.9, p < 0.05), improvement of functional independence (FIM score 76.7 +/- 1.5 versus baseline 65.2 +/- 3.1, p > 0.05). These values turned out to be significantly better than in the control group. CONCLUSION: These results indicate the effectiveness of functional spatially oriented rehabilitation in elderly patients with cerebral stroke. This approach increases personal independence in daily life and improves overall quality of life.

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