Getting the most out of Stroke rehabilitation

Getting the most out of rehabilitation

Rehabilitation professionals, the patient and the family are vitally important partners in rehabilitation. They must all work together for rehabilitation to succeed.

You as the patient

The patient is the most important person during treatment. You may be tempted to sit back and let the staff take charge. DON'T!

Rehabilitation is hard work. You need to maintain abilities while working to regain former competencies. It is normal to feel tired and depressed occasionally, as things that used to be easy become arduous after the stroke.

Yet it is important to remember that you are the one who will ultimately benefit from rehabilitation. The process may be difficult but you should not be discouraged by failures. Participate fully. Focus on your progress. And take pride in every achievement - no matter how small they may seem.

How the Family can Help

Here are some ways you may help if someone you know has stroke:

• Support the patient's efforts to participate in rehabilitation
• If the patient has trouble communicating, ask the speech therapist on ways to help.
• Participate in education offered for stroke patients and their families. Learn as much as possible.
• Attend some of the rehabilitation sessions to find out how rehabilitation works. Learn some home exercises you can help the patient with at home.
• Encourage and help the patient practise skills learnt in rehabilitation.
• Find out what the patient can do alone, what the patient can do with help and what the patient cannot do. Then help them where necessary and avoid doing things that they can do for themselves. Each time a patient does them, their ability and confidence will grow.

Going Home

Going home is a big adjustment. The patient has to transfer skills learnt in the hospital to a new environment. As the patient tries more activities, additional problems may surface.

Family members will need to adapt to and care for the patient. Caregivers, whether family members or hired help, need to understand the safety, physical and emotional needs of the patient.


Preparing Caregivers

Every stroke is different, needing different amounts of assistance. Here are some things caregivers can do:

• Attend caregiver-training sessions arranged by the therapists. Learn and practise how to help the patient when they go home. Be proactive. Ask if in doubt.
• Help ensure that patient takes all prescribed medicine and follow suggestions from staff about diet, exercise, rest and other health practices.
• Encourage and help the patient practise skills learnt in rehabilitation.
• Help the patient solve problems and discover new ways of doing things.
• Assist the patient with activities he/she cannot do independently, such as personal care.
• Help with communication. Always include the patient in conversations even if the patient cannot actively participate.

A stroke is always stressful for the family. It is especially hard if one member is the only caregiver - which usually is the case. Caring for the patient can be a time-consuming and tiring task. Thus the caregiver too, needs family support. Working together eases the stress on everyone.

Preparing a living place

A safe living place is important. During discharge planning, therapists will ask about the home and may want to visit it. They may suggest changes to make it safer for the patient. Changes may include switching rooms so that the patient can remain on one floor, moving scatter rugs or small pieces of furniture that could cause falls, or installing grab bars in the shower.

Most stroke patients will eventually return to their own homes. Others may need to live in a place with professional care such as a nursing home. This choice depends on the patient’s need for care as well as the availability of caregivers at home.