Authors: (including presenting author): :
Wong YO(1), Chan WC(1), Chiang KH(1)
Affiliation: :
(1)Physiotherapy Department, Shatin Hospital
Keyword 1: :
Social prescribing
Keyword 2: :
Community integration
Keyword 3: :
Community rehabilitation
Keyword 4: :
Medical-social collaboration
Introduction: :
Social isolation is prevalent among elderly patients following hospitalization, often leading to physical inactivity. Physical inactivity contributes to reduced functional capacity, and increased fall risk. Medical-social collaboration is therefore essential to enhance community-based rehabilitation. Physiotherapy-led social prescribing bridges the gap between clinical rehabilitation and community reintegration. This pilot program mapped resources across Sha Tin, Ma On Shan, and Tai Wai districts, identifying public parks, elderly centers, and governmental facilities. Following site visits and tele-consultations to ensure accurate information, tailored-made demonstration videos on public park equipment were produced. These were disseminated via three geographically targeted pamphlets featuring QR codes for immediate access. By utilizing these local assets, physiotherapists transition patients from supervised hospital settings to community rehabilitation, fostering long-term functional independence. This program provides customized exercise prescriptions for patients with stroke, Parkinsonism, and dementia, utilizing accessible community resources near their residences to foster sustainable exercise habits.
Objectives: :
(i) Transition clinical rehabilitation to the community by utilizing community facilities and services. (ii) Increase patients’ self-efficacy in utilizing park equipment through demonstration videos. (iii) Optimize resource access by providing updated, geographically targeted information on community facilities.
Methodology: :
An observational cohort pilot was conducted with 55 patients (post-stroke, Parkinsonism, and dementia), recruited since March 2025 in the neurology wards at a public hospital. Physiotherapists assessed patients’ mobility levels, rehabilitation needs, and family support. Customized exercise specifically mapped to nearby equipment was prescribed. The primary outcome was compliance with community-based exercise prescriptions. Secondary outcome was fall episodes post-discharge. These outcomes were monitored in Geriatric Day Hospital (GDH) follow-ups and oversight by medical social workers (MSWs).
Result & Outcome: :
Among the 55 patients recruited, interim compliance reached 78% at GDH/ MSW follow-ups, and 80% reported no fall episodes. For the non-compliant minority, identified barriers included a lack of caregiver support and low motivation for community exercise, highlighting the need for ongoing physiotherapy reinforcement and encouragement given at GDH. This pilot highlights the role of physiotherapists in social prescribing, ensuring rehabilitation remains sustainable beyond the hospital setting. By prescribing exercise within patients’ immediate physical environment, physiotherapists can reduce the effects of social isolation and physical inactivity. This model provides a framework for integrating community-based exercise into standard neurological rehabilitation protocol with the potential for expansion to other patient groups.
