Accelerate Your Loved One's Stroke Recovery with Occupational Therapy

You get the call from your sibling that your Mom or Dad suffered a stroke. Immediately, the scary questions pop into your head – will they survive, and if they do, will they suffer a permanent disability?

You are not alone if this scenario sounds all too familiar. In the United States, a stroke occurs every 40 seconds, affecting nearly 800,000 people every year. While stroke remains a leading cause of death, the key to survival and recovery lies in quick medical intervention.

In this blog, the highly skilled therapists at High Quality Home Therapy share their insights on the occupational therapist’s role in stroke rehabilitation and restoring activities of daily living.

Brain anatomy explained

Let’s begin this topic by observing the brain's anatomy and how it works. Remarkably, the adult human brain weighs about three pounds but packs the power of a supercomputer, controlling sensory and motor functions from when we wake up in the morning until we go to bed at night. It’s even working when we’re sleeping.

The brain is composed of billions of brain cells called neurons. Brain power happens at synapses, where neurons connect and communicate with other neurons. 

The brain receives and interprets chemical and electrical signals through this network of brain cells. Some messages stay within the brain for things like relaying hunger, while others are sent through the spine to other body parts for movement.  

There are three different parts of the brain:

• The cerebrum, the large part, accounts for about 80% of your brain. The cerebrum is a sensory center that controls emotions, learning, and reasoning.
• The cerebellum is at the back of your brain and regulates fine motor skills, balance, coordination, and posture. 
• The brainstem is in the lower part of your brain and links the rest of your brain to your spinal cord. The brainstem controls many automatic bodily responses, such as breathing, heart rate, and swallowing.  

What happens during a stroke

Like every cell and organ in the body, the brain relies on a steady supply of oxygen-rich blood to function. A stroke, sometimes called a brain attack, happens when blood flow to the brain stops or gets disrupted.

Within minutes of being cut off from healthy blood flow, neurons within the affected area start dying from oxygen deprivation. As each minute passes without medical treatment, more and more damage to the brain happens, threatening permanent damage to the brain tissue and, therefore, the bodily function that those neurons regulate.

Stroke rehabilitation to restore independence

Recovering from a stroke can be frustrating and challenging. In the flash of a few minutes, a seemingly healthy, independent person may need help to do the simplest activities of daily living (ADLs), such as eating, getting dressed, reading, or writing.

And that’s where occupational therapy comes in. Our skilled, compassionate occupational therapists help patients improve their ability to do everyday tasks and work toward more advanced, instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs), such as cooking, shopping, driving, or returning to work. 

Personalized, multidisciplinary treatment plans

At High Quality Home Therapy, our team helps patients of all ages return to work (vocational rehabilitation), play, school, or community activities after a stroke, medical issue, or traumatic injury or accident. 

Our highly skilled occupational therapists collaborate with our physical therapists and speech therapists to create personalized interventional plans to address the physical, psychological, and cognitive aspects of daily living affected by a stroke. We track the patient's progress through their interventional plan, reevaluate their therapy plan as needed, and continue to create optimal outcomes.

We work with patients one-on-one and in group settings and offer in-office treatments, home-based therapy, and telehealth services. Our team is committed to helping patients feel more like themselves again, living productive lives.

If you or a loved one has suffered a stroke and want to learn more about how occupational therapy can help, contact High Quality Home Therapy in Stamford, Connecticut, to book an in-person, home-based, or telehealth occupational therapy evaluation. Call today or use our online tool to schedule an appointment.