Do you know someone who just had a stroke? There will be no surprise if you answer yes. Stroke is as common as it sounds. In fact, according to the CDC, stroke affects approximately 140,000 Americans annually, and 1 of these perishes in every four minutes. This simply highlights how crucial is administering correct intervention to a stroke patient so that they can completely heal.
For someone who survived a stroke, the physical manifestations will be obvious. There will be mobility difficulties, speech inabilities, and weaknesses of the limbs, among others. Stroke greatly affects the quality life of a survivor in such a way that in worse cases, the person will not even be able to take care of themselves.
How does occupational therapy enter the scene?
Occupational therapy provided by a professional from a home health care agency in San Diego County, California helps the stroke survivor to address the physical and functional challenges they face post-stroke. This form of therapy is typically in coordination with physical therapy programs but with the goal of re-orienting the person to their pre-stroke functions.
With occupational therapy, the patient is taught again how to hold a spoon, eat, take a bath, type on a mobile phone, and a host of other basic functions. While occupational therapy can be provided in a healthcare facility, it can also be provided in the patient’s home, especially when the patient prefers such an arrangement.
What is the role of occupational therapy in stroke rehabilitation?
As a person undergoes rehabilitation from stroke, occupational therapists help the patient to be reintegrated back to their usual everyday functions so that they can recover their health, sense of purpose, and quality life. Because occupational therapy is an extensive procedure, it is administered in coordination with a team of healthcare practitioners, along with the patient and their family members and home health aides as necessary.
Professional occupational therapists can provide an evaluation on the stroke survivor so that they can design activities that promote the person’s interactions with others, enable the survivor to take care of themselves, and push them to do something they truly want to do.
Among others, the occupational therapist provides quality home health care in National City, California with activities including the following but not limited to:
- Re-training the survivor to handle self-care activities, such as taking a bath, eating, and brushing their teeth
- Utilizes innovative equipment when necessary so that the basic functionalities can be regained
- Re-training the survivor on how to participate in community activities so that they can be integrated very soon
- Provides evaluation and analysis on the patient’s preferred location to determine if the place is going to be conducive for their overall recovery
- Creates programs and develops lifestyle habits that are healthy for the survivor so that a second stroke can be prevented
If you’re in need of an occupational therapist, feel free to connect with us at Healthwise Home Health Care, Inc. If you want to share, tap SHARE.