Did you or your loved one recently experience a stroke and have to spend time in intensive or acute care? The rehabilitation process after a stroke is challenging as your stroke may have had an extreme impact on your physical or mental being. Hiring a team to help you cope or regain your mental and physical strength is best for a good and speedy recovery.
Post-stroke Rehabilitation helps restore function and teaches new ways to complete daily tasks. Hiring a team such as Home Health Companions helps make the recovery process more manageable. We aren’t only focused on your Rehabilitation, but we are also focused on making your daily life easier and helping to boost your emotional well-being along the way.
What factors affect the outcome of stroke rehabilitation?
The recovery process varies by individual, and it is difficult to predict how many and what abilities you may recover and how soon. In general, successful stroke rehabilitation depends
on:
• Emotional factors, such as your motivation and your ability to follow the rehabilitation activities outside of therapy sessions
• Physical characteristics, such as the severity of your stroke in both the cognitive and physical effects
• Social factors, such as the support of friends and family
• Therapeutic factors, including an early start to your Rehabilitation and the skill of your rehabilitation team
The effects of stroke vary depending on its severity and the area of the brain that was
affected, may include:
• Cognitive symptoms like issues with speaking and memory problems.
• Physical symptoms such as paralysis, muscle weaknesses, and difficulty swallowing
• Emotional symptoms such as depression and impulsivity
• Heavy fatigue or difficulty sleeping
Rehabilitation may include the following according to how you were affected and what was instructed by your doctor.
Physical activities
• Motor-skill exercises to help improve your muscle strength and coordination. You might have therapy to strengthen your swallowing.
• Mobility training to help you adapt to mobility aids, such as a walker, wheelchair, canes, or ankle brace.
• Constraint-induced therapy to restrain an unaffected limb while you practice moving
the affected limb to help improve its function. This therapy is sometimes called forced use therapy.
• Range-of-motion therapy includes exercises and treatments that can ease muscle tension (spasticity) and help you regain range of motion.
Cognitive and emotional activities
• Therapy for cognitive disorders. Occupational therapy and speech therapy can help you with cognitive abilities, such as memory, problem-solving, processing, social skills, safety awareness, etc.
• Therapy for communication disorders to help you regain lost abilities such as speaking, listening, writing, and comprehension.
• Psychological evaluation and treatment to help with your mental being.
• Medication. Your doctor might recommend an antidepressant or medicine that affects alertness, agitation, or movement.
Every patient’s rehab journey is different as an individual’s Rehabilitation may include therapies to improve balance, strength, or mobility, while another might need speech or other treatments. A rehabilitation designed for the individual is critical, and Home Health Companions understand. Hence our team of skilled and professional nurses and companions follows the requirements of each patient’s physician to ensure they are doing and helping our clients when and where it is needed.
Need support for yourself or a loved one to help in the stroke rehabilitation process? Well, look no further. Sign up with Home Health Companions or call to get your help. We are here
to serve and help in any way possible, from cooking to helping you get around and much more.
References
Stroke rehabilitation: What to expect as you recover – Mayo Clinic
Stroke Recovery Timeline | Johns Hopkins Medicine
Mount Vernon News