This is the beginning. I am a physical therapist with 7 acres in Florida. I have belief that a properly set up adult day care center would be the ideal setting to faciliate the recovery of stroke survivors after the acute episode is over and the family would like their loved one back home.
After working in the rehab field for a while, I have noticed that the younger stroke survivors are often the ones that don't get the care they need. Their family members still have to work-no one is home to care for them during the day. If they are left in long term care facilities, medicaid does not cover their rehabilitation and they are often left to an existance in a wheelchair when with proper care they would return to walking and many other activities they enjoy. A adult day care with the correct environment would be the ideal way for these people to receive the attention and instruction they need. It would also be a way for improved family communication since the family would be there daily to be instructed in re-inforcing the new skills learned at the daycare.
What I need is response from any stroke survivors letting me know some of the essential elements I would need to incorporate in the adult day care setting. Please give me your response.
As someone who had a stroke and had to manage my own recovery, I completely agree. Younger stroke survivors have different goals than someone who is 80 who has a stroke and is mostly concerned about comfort for their remaining years. Younger survivors hope to return their families, their work, their hobbies, their other activities, and lead as normal a life as their deficits allow.
ReplyDeleteDuring my recovery, I had a dream about creating stroke centers with visiting neurologists where survivors could go for information, physical therapy, basic movement classes (More Movement = Less Depression), camaraderie, and a wide range of other services aimed specifically at stroke survivors. The second time I had this dream, I added a group home setting to the scenario. I have a friend who is 50, had a stroke a few years back, and lives in an assisted living center where everyone is 75 or older. She needs some of the care they provide, but also needs to be around people her age. Assisted living centers are set up for elder care and not stroke recovery. She would benefit greatly from stroke adult day care and / or a group home situation. With more than 6 million stroke survivors living in the U.S., how many thousands or millions more are in the same situation? Many, many more, I suspect.
In South Carolina, where I live, last year 49% of all strokes occurred to those under the age of 65. I suspect it will become more than 50% this year or certainly next. Young stroke is on the rise in other states, as well, and around the world. There has been more work on it in Europe than here in the U.S. It is time we catch up with Europe. It is time to re-examine the stroke recovery model and implement solutions that empower survivors. These are not simply statistics; we’re talking about people’s lives.
Ralph Preston, stroke survivor since 2008.
I volunteer with YoungStroke.org, helping to publicize their mission and running stroke support groups – http://www.youngstroke.org
I am a video producer who is trying to help others through stroke recovery. I have a blog about it here – http://www.strokedvd.blogspot.com