A FULL LIFE AFTER STROKE
RECOVERY
The Road To Recovery Has No End
RECOVERY AND REHABILITATION
Rehabilitation can involve work with speech, physical, and occupational therapists.
Speech therapy helps people who have problems producing or understanding speech.
Physical therapy uses exercise to help you relearn movement and coordination skills you may have lost due to the stroke.
Occupational therapy focuses on improving daily activities, such as eating, drinking, dressing, bathing, reading, and writing.
All rehabilitation is important, and the pace of recovery is different for everyone.
Inpatient rehabilitation:
This may be at a separate location or part of a hospital. The stay is for usually 2 to 3 weeks and involves intense care, usually 3 hours of active therapy a day for most of the week. Inpatient facilities include full-time physician supervision and access to the therapists specializing in post-stroke rehabilitation and the use of specialized equipment.
Outpatient rehabilitation:
This is usually part of a larger hospital complex. It also includes access to physicians and therapists specializing in stroke rehabilitation. Outpatient therapy is often 3 days a week.
Skilled nursing facilities:
A SNF can offer a variety of care, depending on the location, with emphasis on rehabilitation but fewer hours of therapy and less physician contact, compared to inpatient rehabilitation units.
Home-based rehabilitation:
Home therapy allows the stroke survivor to practice skills and develop strategies in her/his own living environment. However, there may not be access to specialized equipment that can be found at a traditional rehabilitation facility.
SAY "NO!" TO PLATEAU
My family’s moto is “say NO to plateau!”
My grandmother has been in some form of therapy for over 10 years. One of the most important things we learned during these years is the fact that improvement is NOT the standard for Medicare coverage.
The Jimmo Settlement Agreement clarifies Medicare’s longstanding policy that coverage of skilled nursing and skilled therapy services in the Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF), Home Health (HH), and Outpatient Therapy (OPT) settings does not turn on the presence or absence of a beneficiary’s potential for improvement, but rather on the beneficiary’s need for skilled care.
Neuroplasticity
Neuroplasticity is the brain's ability to change. The brain can rewire itself by making new connections joining brain cells after an injury, such as a stroke. The undamaged area of your brain can take over the functions of the injured parts. This means that you and your brain can relearn skills that were lost due to stroke.
Change takes time. You will need to continuously practice specific tasks in everyday life to improve your skills and rewire your brain. Do it over and over again and it will make a difference. I sat for hours and hours with my grandmother going over sight word flash cards and one day, something clicked, and she could read the word on the card.