Comprehensive Stroke Rehabilitation

Stroke is the 3rd leading cause of death and the most frequent cause of disability in the United States. Of the 700,000 new stroke cases every year, more than 50% of survivors will be left with a major disability and 200,000 of these survivors will have a recurrent stroke, either permanently disabling or functionally impairing their ability to actively participate in family, work, and community. It is this resulting disability, along with changes in brain chemistry, that lead to depression, despair and increased risks for other diseases.

Rehabilitation of Stroke Survivors not only enables the survivor to regain function and become an active participant in family, work, and community, it also promotes physical health, thus decreasing the risk of future strokes.

The overall goal of our Comprehensive Stroke Rehabilitation Program is to: enhance self care skills, such as feeding, grooming and bathing; improve mobility; improve speech, vision, and hearing; enhance memory and problem solving skills; manage emotional complications resulting from stroke, such as depression and personality changes; and to ultimately facilitate the return of the survivor into the role of “active participant” in family, work, and community by improving family, occupational, and social skills.

Comprehensive Stroke Rehabilitation Program

The program consists of many different, yet interlinked, modalities provided by different team members, each with their own specialty. The ultimate goal of the program is to restore function and assist in the recovery of the Stroke Survivor. Members of the Rehabilitation Team consist of:

• NeuroPsychiatrist, a physician specializing in the brain and nervous system, as well as psychiatry.
• Rehabilitation Nurse
• Physical Therapist
• Speech and Language Therapist
• Occupational Therapist
• Audiologist
• Optometrist
• Nutritionist
• Rehabilitation and Health Counselor
• Mobility Engineer
• Family and Caretaker Specialist
• Chaplaincy and Spiritual Guidance Counselor
• Stroke Survivors Support Group
• Vocational Rehabilitation Specialist

The Program

The Rehabilitation Program is provided on an Out-Patient basis, thus allowing minimum restriction to the patient, as well as significant cost containment benefits. A temporary residence can be arranged for patients from outside the immediate area, allowing the patient to stay locally while completing the Rehabilitation Program.

The Rehabilitation Program begins with an initial evaluation by a NeuroPsychiatrist. Based on this evaluation, a specialized Individual Rehabilitation Program is developed for each patient and then implemented by members of the Rehabilitation Team.