Stroke Rehabilitation 

The stroke rehab team

The stroke rehab team revolves around the patient and family. The team helps set short- and long-term treatment goals for recovery and is made up of many skilled professionals, including:

 

• Doctors, such as a neurologist (a doctor who treats conditions of the nervous system such as stroke), a physiatrist (a doctor who specializes in physical medicine and rehabilitation) and internists

• Rehab nurses

• Rehab specialists

• Physical therapists

• Occupational therapists

• Speech and language pathologists

• Registered dietitians

• Social workers and chaplains

• Psychologists, neuropsychologists, and psychiatrists

• Case managers

 

The stroke rehab program

 

The outlook for people who have had a stroke today is more hopeful than ever due to advances in both stroke treatment and rehabilitation. Stroke rehab works best when the patient, family, and rehab staff works together as a team. Family members must learn about physical and mental changes caused by the stroke and how to help the patient become functional again.

Rehab medicine is designed to meet each person's specific needs. So, each program is different. Some general treatment components for stroke rehab programs include:

 

• Treating the basic disease and preventing complications

• Treating the disability and improving function

• Providing adaptive tools and altering the environment

• Teaching the patient and family and helping them adapt to lifestyle changes

 

There are 5 main types of disabilities that stroke can cause:

 

• Paralysis or problems controlling movement, such as walking, balance, or swallowing

• Sensory (ability to feel touch, pain, temperature, or position) disturbances

• Trouble using or understanding language

• Thinking and memory problems

• Emotional disturbances

Stroke rehab can help you recover from the effects of stroke, relearn skills, and develop new ways to do things.

 

The type and extent of rehab goals depend on many variables, including:

 

• The cause, location, and severity of stroke

• The type and degree of any impairments and disabilities from the stroke

• The overall health of the patient

• Family and community support