My mate had a stroke in November, went to an intense rehab place for 3 weeks. He was sent to a milder one for 3 weeks, they claimed he could walk independently; he can’t, they sent him home, did not even give him a walker, we had to lift him into the car. One of the therapists said take him to the hospital and then try to get into another rehab, which is what we are attempting now. It seems to be all about what doctors write up about the patient, not sure the criteria the insurance company will consider.
How long are most patients in inpatient rehab?
My mother had a massive cerebral hemorrhage. Immediately after, they told us to fine a nursing home for her, because she’d probably never make a meaningful recovery. She spent about a month in in-patient rehab, then came home to continue recovering and attending out-patient rehab. She far, far exceeded the professionals’ ideas of how much recovery she’d have. But she was aggressive with her therapy, doing all the work the therapists work give her and other work at home.
The therapists said that many stroke patients start out therapy strong, but when they don’t see immediate return to their old self, they give up. My mother never did. At 3 months they said she’d probably made 90% of her recovery. At 6 months and a year, as she continued to improve, they said the same thing. The patient has to be dogged and tough.
StG
Thank you for that post. If they send him home too soon, though, he may fall, that’s what I am worried about. I would have to walk with him every room he went to, I would have to be home 24/7. Ah, if we were independently wealthy, he’d be in inpatient longer.
When I had my stroke 27 months ago, my right arm didn’t work and my right leg barely did. I spent 8 days on the cardiac floor while they figured out what was happening with me and figuring out how to medicate me. I had some PT and OT there. Then I was sent to another hospital for 3 weeks of Intense Rehab. 1.5 hours of PT and 1.5 hours of OT daily for 6 days a week. I had to use a quad cane to walk. What with my right hand not working very well, I could not handle a walker.
In PT, they got me side stepping holding onto parallel bars and reaching for stuff. Walking on a treadmill, on an elliptical, pushing my weight up a slanted platform and other good stuff like that. And learning how to stand from a sitting position and back.
In OT, they had me showering and washing myself. They got me up to pegs in a pegboard and clothespins with different strength springs. It seems I surprised them when they discovered I had been putting my AFO (ankle foot orthotic) unassisted and one-handed. Nobody bothered to tell me it wasn’t possible. Anyway after 3 weeks I was declared “Modified Independent” and sent home with a wheel chair, a quad cane, and a transfer bench for the shower.
For most of my first week at home I stayed in the wheelchair. I could only use my left side to steer and propel it. I did find it easier and quicker to use the cane to get from the kitchen to the bathroom and a bitch to get a cup full of hot coffee to my room. After about a week I decided I’d get better and stronger faster if I left the wheelchair at my computer desk in my bedroom. Our cleaning woman brought me an 18 oz insulated travel mug with a lid so I could transport coffee. I had 6-8 weeks of in-home OT and PT 2-3 times a week. They’d give me new exercises to do. Then they graduated me to Out-patient rehab.
That was twice a week. Both OT and PT were in the same suite of offices so I had a 45 minute session with each back to back. This lasted maybe 5 months? By the time I was done, I could walk without using a cane, but it wasn’t very pretty. I could stand up from a chair withOUT using my hands to push off. And my right arm and hand was coming back too. They had things I could grip and squeeze with gauges on them. I could squeeze my entire hand at 70 lbs, which was just over the lowest level for average for my age. And my pinching between thumb and fingers had improved muchly. I asked them to help me work out cooking tasks like moving roasting pans in and out of an oven. And pouring water into glasses and putting cans in and out of cabinets.
27 months after Stroke Day, I figure my right arm is at 90-95%. A bit wobbly carrying a full cup of hot coffee but okay with a 3/4 full cup. Typing is still a bit off with my ring and pinky fingers and I take tylenol for the achy from using the track ball. I’m a lot more left handed than I used to be. My right leg is about 85% I guess. I generally don’t use a cane inside the house but use one when I leave the house. Can’t be too careful, I don’t want to fall. Oh, I graduated to a regular cane from the quad cane. And last month I started to drive again.
I confess at home I may not have done all the exercises they gave me. But I didn’t lay in bed all day. Just walking about the house and doing chores gave me exercise. And a couple of months after I got back home we got a new cat with an inordinate amount of faith in my ability to not step on her or kick her as she’d lay down in my traffic path. Which she did a LOT. And when I was draining the bilges in the bathroom using my left hand, she’d hop up onto the sink on my right and tap my right hand with a paw until I’d pet her with that. The beast was in cahoots with my PT and OTs!
Get your mate out of the wheelchair. The more I did the stronger I got and the easier it became. I started helping myself when while sitting in the chair at my computer, I’d lift my right arm over my head with my left arm. And wiggling my fingers while I was walking. I use the term “Small Victories”. My first was opening my hand so my fingers were flat without using anything to straighten them. The small victories add up to larger stuff.
My grandmother had a stroke when she was about 75. She never recovered at all. My ex’s uncle, who was a retired monk, had a stroke when he was almost 90. He benefited from very little rehab, and stayed mostly bedridden or carried to a chair, and unable to speak, for a year or so. Then he began to recover against all expectations, with mostly only the help of his fellow retired monks. He eventually regained essentially entirely both his ability to speak and his ability to walk, despite his advanced age, the long time spent bedridden, and the lack of professional rehab. I guess you never know.
I should add that I believe everyone’s stroke is different.
My motto, for what it’s worth, is “the more you do, the more you can do”. Meaning he’ll need to push himself, as Ranger Jeff said, but over time doing so will lead to improvements and increased abilities.
I hope your friend continues to improve.
So much this. I had a viral demyelination that was initially thought to be a stroke and I went through stroke rehab that very much paralleled yours, I was in acute care for 2 weeks and in patient rehab for 6 weeks. I’m 18 years after the event but I remember so many of my “firsts” during my recovery!