Report of a questionnaire survey of poststroke patients with aphasia and their families.

In a study made by The Stroke and Aphasia Federation Finland, a little less than a quarter of the aphasic patients and their families could not cope with the change in their life caused by stroke. Patients' and families' functionality decreased, and their social contacts either decreased or ended. These were the factors that prevented families from adapting to new situations. Patients and famiIies felt that they had received too little information about the illness and various benefits available. Families also needed more mental support. Those who lived in big cities or in the scattered areas felt that the rehabilitation was also insufficient.