Today there is a tendency for an increase in neurological diseases. Stroke is the most acute and socially significant disease in the structure of neurological pathology and cerebral circulation. Using ergotherapy and physical therapy in the acute period of the stroke reduces the risk of various complications, helps to restore impaired motor and cognitive functions, and improves activities of daily living in patients. The purpose of the study was to determine the effectiveness of using ergotherapy means in improving the activities of daily living in middle-aged patients after ischemic stroke. Material and methods. The study was conducted on the basis of the Municipal Institution "Zaporizhzhya Regional Clinical Hospital" in Zaporizhzhya with patients of middle age. The study involved 16 men after ischemic stroke; the average age of the patients was 52.7±1.4 years. The stroke duration was 2.6±0.3 months. The study was carried out taking into account the principles of the Helsinki Declaration and approved by the ethics committee of the Khortytsya National Training and Rehabilitation Academy. The patient’s activities of daily living and the degree of independence were assessed using the Barthel index. The functional ability of the patient was assessed using a modified Rankin scale. The examination of patients was carried out twice: at the beginning of using ergotherapeutic means and 14 days after patients staying in the hospital on therapy. Results and discussion. After using ergotherapeutic means, patients showed a significant improvement in food intake – by 3.66 points (p<0.001), personal toilet – by 3.66 points (p<0.001), dressing – by 3.00 points (p<0.001), defecation control – by 3.33 points (p<0.001); urination control – by 3.00 points (p<0.01), using the toilet – by 3.00 points (p<0.001), movement from bed to chair and back – by 4.66 points (p<0.001), ability to move on a flat surface – by 3.34 points (p<0.001), overcoming the stairs – by 1.66 points (p<0.01), which indicated the improvement in activities of daily living. Conclusion. The obtained results showed that the differentiated use of ergotherapy helped to reduce the degree of disability in middle-aged patients after a stroke by the Rankine scale, as well as to improve the activity indicators in everyday life by the Barthel index.

Keywords: ischemic stroke, ergotherapy, intervention, daily activities

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