The goals of the study by Dr. Wasserman were to capture costs and service utilization for outpatient rehabilitative stroke services and to determine differences

In conclusion, we found that service utilization constituted the majority of cost within each group: 82.2% (severe), 72.6 % (moderate) and 65.4% (mild). Outpatient physical and occupational therapies and home health accounted for 74% of services utilized. Although cost varied by severity, medication costs were similar and remained constant among all three groups: $4,760 (severe), $4,925 (moderate) and $4,692.93 (mild). However, average cost and utilization of services decreased even when stratified by severity. Given the variability of service utilization within severity subgroups, additional research with larger sample sizes is warranted.

Sally grew up in a small town in southern Ohio and her interest in science started in her 10th grade biology class. She knew then that she wanted to work with living things and since she is by nature a very social person, she chose to become a nurse, which allowed her to work with people, and also gave her the extra challenge of working with people and families when they were in crisis. Sally graduated from DePauw University in Ohio and married a young man who was pursuing a post graduate degree in Geology at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. While in Knoxville, she received her Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree in mental health nursing. After she graduated, she knew that she wanted to work with older people. Sally says that “By working with older people, I am able to combine my passion for history and my love for people.” Sally has always been attracted to working with older people with chronic illnesses. In Ohio, she worked with people with cardiac problems and in Tennessee she worked with a team of mental health professionals in a variety of long term care settings, providing counseling and medication management for the residents.

The Davis’ (Sally, her husband, Tim, and their three beautiful daughters) have lived in Houston for 10 years. Sally joined the CAReS project at the very beginning of the study in the fall of 2001, and was hired to work with the enrolled families in the intervention group. She says of that experience, “I had a sharp learning curve of my knowledge of stroke, but what I did know was how to relate to people in times of change. I have since learned that no two strokes are alike and that it affects every family differently. In my work, I have enjoyed meeting all the families and am very humbled by their experiences and their drive to thrive. I am very proud to be a part of the CAReS project and pinch my self several times about how lucky I am to be able to work with such determined families and to be associated with such a wonderful research team.” Thanks, Sally, for your many contributions to the success of the CAReS program.