Knowing the Rehab Patient

Knowing the patient -- in this case you or your loved one -- is a major issue. Keep in mind what we noted earlier: “Everyone’s needs differ.” Further, many professionals who you will be working with have not had to deal with a stroke 24/7 in their household. It might be hard for them to relate to you as an individual all the time.

Therefore, we needed to consistently articulate our specific needs and require them to understand more about us and our family. It’s extremely frustrating when you have multiple doctors and therapists telling you to do three of these and five of those daily. There is not enough time in the day.

Most stroke patients have multiple therapy needs. We found that if you do all the prescribed home exercises, spending the proposed time on each of the various therapies, you may not have time to do anything else. Therefore, expectations of some of the professionals are unreasonable at times. You must prioritize your rehab day and execute accordingly.

Further, you will find that doctors and therapists are very guarded with their prognosis and specifics about the patient. This is because all people are different and at the end of the day they really don’t know! It is extremely difficult to talk about you or your loved one’s future because of this. Thus, it is helpful to talk in terms of other individuals who have similar issues. With this latitude, the doctor can talk quantitatively to help you understand your situation better.