2.3 Study population
The study population consisted of all patients admitted to the neurology department of a training and research hospital in Istanbul between July 2014 and December 2015. During the study period 514 patients were admitted to the neurology service with the diagnosis of stroke. Of these patients, 12 died, 53 were transferred to other wards, and 85 refused to participate in the study. Among 364 patients who were followed up in the ward and agreed to participate in the study, 205 cases who met the study criteria were included in the study. Literate patients older than 18 years of age without mental retardation who were being followed up for at least 48 hours and agreed to participate in the survey consisted the study population.
Aphasic patients, cases with visual and hearing impairments with whom exchange of information is impossible, and patients with musculoskeletal and nervous system disorders other than stroke (developmental hip dysplasia, advanced osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, amputation, myasthenia gravis, Parkinson’s disease) were not included in the study.