Outpatient Therapy for Stroke Patients
August 28, 2024
Health News
According to the American Stroke Association, an estimated 17 million strokes occur worldwide every year. Sedona Shonnard, DPT, Physical Therapist, Outpatient Therapy Center, explains that although treatment plans differ for each patient, engaging in outpatient therapies will help reclaim functions lost from the stroke.
How can a stroke patient benefit from physical, speech or occupational therapy?
The type of care can differ for each stroke patient due to the location of the stroke. The stroke may have caused motor or cognitive dysfunction, or both. However, most patients will be referred to a team of occupational, physical and speech therapists for ongoing care and recovery of function.
What types of therapy are offered?
Occupational Therapy
An occupational therapist helps stroke patients work towards completing normal everyday duties on their own. This includes regaining the ability to feed and dress themselves, performing household chores such as laundry, doing the dishes, or vacuuming. Occupational therapists often model these duties in a home-like environment so the patient can rehab in a realistic setting.
Physical Therapy
A physical therapist aids a stroke patient in being able to get out of bed on their own, walking confidently, and returning function to their motor abilities that may have been affected during their stroke. The goal of physical therapy is strength, movement, and mobility. A physical therapist will build a care plan with goals to safely assist the patient with regaining function.
Speech Therapy
Because stroke occurs in the brain, facets of the brain can be damaged, including speech, memory and communication, when the incident occurs. A speech therapist works with the patient to regain speech and comprehension loss, improve swallowing, mouth movements, the way someone thinks, the way someone sequences tasks, memory, thoughts, and more.
It is important to receive therapy within the first two to three weeks after a stroke because the patient will see the most return during this time. However, the first six months of rehab post-stroke are critical months to work with a therapist and other medical professionals to receive care.
Are support groups for stroke survivors available in our area?
If you or a loved one have suffered a stroke, our Outpatient Therapy Center at Northern Nevada Medical Center offers monthly support groups for stroke survivors and their caregivers. These sessions are guided by a physical therapist to offer support, comfort and guidance to patients and caregivers.