[The geriatric team in ambulatory (mobile) rehabilitation. Results of a longitudinal study on the effects of ambulatory rehabilitation].

This article describes the experiences obtained in a study of ambulatory (mobile) rehabilitation with stroke patients. The patients had been treated in a rehabilitation clinic before. The ambulatory rehabilitation, which lasted 18 months, served to maintain and further develop the previous success of in-patient rehabilitation. On the one hand, the research project provided empirical evidence for the success of ambulatory rehabilitation. On the other hand, the experiences obtained through this research project indicate that the success of an ambulatory rehabilitation concept is dependent on optimal co-operation among members of the rehabilitation team (physicians, psychologists, physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech therapists, and nursing staff). In relation, the institutional conditions for effective ambulatory rehabilitation are only met when physicians in private practice, who are responsible for the co-ordination of rehabilitation services, are supported by physicians in regard to time-consuming home visits, and when sufficient numbers of physical therapists, occupational therapists, and speech therapists in private practice are available. Unfortunately, these conditions are not fulfilled in many regions of Germany.