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You are in: Home > Stroke Information > Your Stroke Journey > Rehabilitation >

Rehabilitation

• Aims of rehabilitation
• Where will my rehabilitation take place?
• What will my rehabilitation involve?
• How long will my rehabilitation last?
• Keep it realistic!

Aims of rehabilitation

The aim of recovery and rehabilitation are the same:

• To become as independent as possible within the limitations of your stroke.

Recovery begins immediately and goes on indefinitely.

A programme of rehabilitation may be limited by time and progress, and may involve eventually reaching an end.

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Where will my rehabilitation take place?

Rehabilitation can be carried out in:

• Organised or 'formal' rehabilitation may not start immediately. Once you have been stabilised and fully assessed a decision will be made as to how to progress with your rehabilitation.

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What will my rehabilitation involve?

Your rehabilitation is centred around you and is carried out using a Stroke Team Approach.

The focus is on finding new ways to achieve tasks as well as maximising and improving functions that are lost or impaired.

Rehabilitation involves:

• Assessment
• Goal setting
• Interventions / therapy: to assist in the achievement of your goals
• Reassessment: your progress is assessed against your agreed goals

Rehabilitation is a cyclical process:

For example, your assessment continues throughout your rehabilitation. Your progress will be monitored and, if necessary, the therapy you are receiving will be adjusted so that together you can work towards short term goals.

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How long will my rehabilitation last?

It is impossible to predict how long your rehabilitation will last. Everyone's stroke is different.

There will come a point when formal therapy will end and you will have to continue working on your recovery on your own, using the skills, and practising the exercises, that you have been taught.

Successful rehabilitation depends on:

• Amount of damage to the brain
• A skilled rehabilitation team
• Cooperation of family and friends
• Timing of rehabilitation: the earlier it begins the more likely you are to regain lost abilities and skills

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Keep it realistic!

The team involved with your care have to work with you towards achieving long term goals that are realistic.

If they feel the goals that you have in mind are over ambitious, they might encourage you to look at other ways to achieve what you want to do.

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