Table 1 The guide for health coaching intervention program

Three days prior to discharge

Self-care skills

To demonstrate the skills of personal hygiene, dressing, eating, maintaining continence and transferring, and how to record health coaching diary for self-monitoring.

Creating a safe home environment

To assess the home environment according to the stroke survivors’ needs. To demonstrate and discuss how to create a safe home environment. Examples will be provided in relation to the increase of the lighting in the living room, bedroom and toilet. Minimizing the furniture and provide the patient with an accessible area. Creating floor with non-slip, no steps, and to install handrails on the walls.

Functional ability rehabilitation and exercise plan

Based on the plan provided by medical specialist, the coach will demonstrate how to perform the recommended activities, provide opportunity for stroke survivors to perform these activities and gain feedback from the coach. The training also includes, but not limited to:

• Maintain the correct posture and correct the abnormal pattern.

• Maintain the functional position of the paralysed limb to prevent malformation.

• Active and passive function training on hemiplegic side.

• Guide the transfer training, swallowing function training.

Two days prior to discharge

Medication management

• Give health education about medication use, monitoring side effects and medication adherence.

• Demonstrate how to record the medication using Health Coaching Diary.

Complication prevention

• To assess the complication prevention according to the stroke survivors’ condition.

• To demonstrate how to prevent, identify and manage stroke-related complications(second stroke, bedsore, falls and urinary tract infection).