Volunteer Facilitated Discharge Assistance and Supports at Home (DASH) for People With Stroke: An Effectiveness-implementation Hybrid Trial.

Acute stroke often leads to adult disability in Canada, and about 108,707 Canadians experience a stroke each year. While most people survive stroke (80 percent) and return home, some survivors are left with ongoing challenges that require them to seek help in the community. These challenges can lead to stress for the individual and their caregiver. Research on volunteer-supported home-to-hospital programs has shown positive outcomes. However, despite the growing evidence that supports volunteer engagement in care transitions, we have yet to determine the impact of a complex psychosocial volunteer-delivered care transition intervention for stroke survivors. This study will assess whether a volunteer-delivered transitional care intervention, designed by Bruyère Health Research Institute in partnership with March of Dimes Canada (MODC), for adults discharged home from a stroke rehabilitation unit following an acute stroke can improve coping compared to usual care. MODC will implement the volunteer-support transition program across two Ontario regions for stroke rehabilitation sites. Those allocated to the intervention group will receive an initial visit from the Volunteer Coordinator and then weekly one-on-one visits by a trained volunteer for eight weeks. The volunteer may assist the study participant with instrumental daily living activities and psychosocial and informational support. Those not receiving the intervention will receive educational material at 4- and 8-week time points in addition to their usual care. All study participants will complete validated patient-reported outcome measures at 3- and 6-months post-hospital discharge.