Abstract
This study was a randomized controlled trial (RCT) investigating the effects of combining rehabilitation nursing with nutritional intervention on self-care ability and nutritional status in elderly stroke patients. Three hundred elderly stroke patients admitted to a hospital from 2021 to 2023 were randomly allocated to either an experimental group (n = 150) receiving rehabilitation nursing combined with nutritional intervention, or a control group (n = 150) receiving standard care. Changes in clinical efficacy, self-care ability, nutritional status indicators, and recovery of motor function were assessed to analyze the effect of combining rehabilitation nursing with nutritional intervention on elderly stroke patients. The results showed that post-treatment, the experimental group had significantly lower Neurological Deficit Scale (NDS) scores compared to the control group, while Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores, Barthel Index (BI) scores, and Fugl-Meyer Assessment (FMA) scores were higher than the control group, and post-treatment levels of Albumin (ALB), Prealbumin (PAB), protein intake, Mid-Upper Arm Circumference (MUAC), and grip strength were all higher in the experimental group than the control group, Triglyceride (TG), Total Cholesterol (TC) were all Lower in the experimental group than the control group, all P < 0.05. Combining rehabilitation nursing with nutritional intervention effectively improves self-care ability and nutritional status in elderly stroke patients, enhancing their quality of life, and is worthy of clinical application and promotion.