How to Find the Best Stroke Rehabilitation Service

Strokes have, unfortunately, turned into one of the leading causes of death in the U.S. in recent years. There are almost 150,000 Americans who die as a result of a stroke annually.

But the good news is that, thanks to initiatives like the American Stroke Association’s American Stroke Month, there are also more people surviving strokes than ever before. There are about 600,000 people who survive a stroke every year.

Do you have a loved one who survived a stroke recently? If so, you should count your blessings. But you should also make sure they go through stroke rehabilitation as soon as possible.

Stroke victims often need to relearn how to do everything from talk to walk during rehabilitation. And they often need to do so while living in a rehabilitation facility.

Here’s how to find the right stroke rehabilitation service for your loved one.

Ask Your Loved One’s Doctor for Stroke Rehabilitation References

Studies have shown that only about 10 percent of the people who suffer strokes end up recovering from them completely. Strokes can take a significant toll on a person’s mind and body and make it difficult for them to bounce back.

If you want to increase your loved one’s chances of making a full recovery from a stroke, it’s incredibly important for you to get them into a stroke rehabilitation center as quickly as you can.

Typically, those who sustain a stroke will need to remain hospitalized for about four to seven days. But once they’re stable enough to leave, they should be transferred to a stroke rehab center right away.

You can speed things up by speaking directly with your loved one’s doctor about their condition and the rehab process. The doctor might be able to recommend a great rehab center nearby that specializes in working with people who have suffered strokes.

You shouldn’t just take the doctor’s word for it and go with that facility because they recommended it. You should still do your homework and research different facilities to find the best one. But a doctor’s recommendation will give you a great starting point.

Find Rehabilitation Centers Covered by Your Loved One’s Insurance

Recovering from a stroke can be very expensive. Some families are forced to try and cut corners during the rehab process due to the rising costs of stroke rehabilitation.

Your family shouldn’t take that approach to your loved one’s rehab. But at the same time, you also don’t want to saddle yourself with tens of thousands of dollars worth of debt tied to your loved one’s stroke.

Therefore, you should look for a rehabilitation center that is covered by your loved one’s insurance company. Get in touch with the insurance company directly and find out what your loved one’s rehab options will be.

See Which Rehabilitation Facilities Offer the Right Services

One of the best ways to find the right stroke rehab service for your loved one is by reaching out to different centers and asking them for a full breakdown of their services.

You want to find a center that has a lot of experience dealing with those who have survived strokes. Ideally, they should have a particular department or wing dedicated to helping stroke victims recover.

But if nothing else, there are certain services they should provide to your loved one during their stay. These services should help push your loved one to make a recovery following their stroke.

Physical therapy, for example, is one service your loved one will most likely need at their rehab center. They’ll have to attend physical therapy to build up their strength and learn how to walk and move around again.

24-hour skilled nursing care is another service that your loved one’s rehab facility should have. They’re going to need someone to help them do a lot of different things during their early days in rehab.

Check Out the Staff at Rehabilitation Centers

It takes a village to help a person recover from a stroke. It’s not just one doctor or one nurse doing the bulk of the heavy lifting. It’s a combination of many different doctors and medical professionals working together to lift a person up.

Your loved one will likely need access to:

• A primary care physician
• A rehabilitation nurse
• A psychiatrist
• A physical therapist
• An occupational therapist
• A speech-language pathologist
• A social worker
• And more

The stroke rehabilitation facility that you choose for your loved one should be able to provide you with all of these people at once. This will improve your loved one’s chances of making a full recovery and set them up for success in both the short and long term.

Consider the Location of Rehabilitation Centers

In the weeks following a stroke, you’re going to want to be by your loved one’s side as often as you can.

Those who survive strokes often have memory problems and other cognitive challenges. They essentially have to either work to regain their memory or strive to make new memories to replace the ones they lost.

As you can imagine, this can cause a lot of confusion in those who have suffered a stroke. They’ll need to lean on you and their other loved ones to get them through this tough time.

It’ll help if you can find a stroke rehab service that isn’t too far from your own home. It’ll allow you to spend as much time as you can there.

Choose the Best Stroke Rehabilitation Service For Your Loved One

Most people don’t have a whole lot of time to track down the best stroke rehabilitation service for a loved one.

One minute, they’re trying to come to terms with the fact that their loved one had a stroke. And the next, they’re frantically searching for a rehab center that can help them recover.

But if you follow the steps listed here, you should put your loved one in a good position and give them a better chance of recovering. The goal should be to find a rehab center with an excellent reputation that can set your loved one up with the best possible services.