Screening measures
Blood pressure was measured utilizing a single manual sphygmomanometer
with the client at rest and in a seated position.
The measure recorded was the mean of readings of pressures
taken from both arms. Hypertension was defined as exceeding
national stroke recommendations (≥ 140/90 mmHg or
≥ 130/80mmHg for those clients with diabetes or chronic renal
impairment) (Lindsay et al., 2008).
Cognition was screened by the recruiting nurse using the
MMSE. A score of < 26 of a possible 30 indicated some degree
of cognitive deficit (Folstein et al., 1975; Molloy, 1999). The
MMSE was designed to identify dementia, delirium and cognitive
changes over time. Test-retest reliability has been reported
to vary from 0.82 to 0.98; a sensitivity of 87% and specificity of
82% have been reported (Cockrell & Folstein, 1988).