Stroke Team Approach: Chest Heart& Stroke Scotland

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Stroke Team Approach

Rehabilitation after a stroke is best achieved by a team approach, made up of the different professionals who will assist you with your recovery.

This team is often called the multi disciplinary team (or MDT) and may include:

Multi disciplinary team members who may be involved in your care

The MDT team will work closely with you and your family and involve you in any decisions made about your rehabilitation.
The team by communicates regularly with each other at weekly meetings.

Ask for explanations

Always ask professionals, or anyone else who is helping you with problems concerning your stroke, to go over any points you are unclear about or to explain them in a simpler way.
If your stroke has caused difficulties in understanding what is being said, or if English is not your first language, make sure you have someone with you to help you communicate.
It may also be useful if you, or someone else, can write down any important information you are given since it will be hard to remember everything that has been said.

Medical staff

General Practitioner (GP): in charge of your care if you remain at home. If you are admitted to hospital your GP will resume charge once you return home. If you have any worries about the effects of your stroke, you should consult your GP who can refer you to other professionals and services.
Consultant: if you were admitted to hospital, you will be under the care of a consultant (specialist doctor) who works with a team of other fully qualified, but less senior, doctors. Depending on your age, your type of stroke or the services available locally, you may be referred to a stroke physician, general physician, geriatrician or neurologist.

Nursing staff

Nurses can:

Listen to the advice received from therapists, on how to manage activities (e.g. eating, drinking, washing, dressing and moving), and incorporate this into your day.
Provide information, explanations and support to you and your family.
Help sort out any problems. You should have a named nurse responsible for your care who you should talk to first of all.
Play a major role in your recovery process.

Physiotherapists

Physiotherapists will provide an assessment of your movement and ability to balance.

Early treatment will include guided movements of your limbs, correct positioning in bed or a chair and transferring from bed to chair or to the toilet.

Physiotherapists can help with:

Using both sides of your body.
Mobility.
Treating shoulder pain.
Preventing contractures (painful spasms in the arm or leg).
Preventing falls.
Providing equipment such as splints, walking aids or wheelchairs.
Adaptations to your home such as ramps or handrails to aid your mobility and independence at home.

Occupational therapists

Occupational therapists (often known as OTs) will initially assess which activities are physically difficult for you to carry out.

In time, an OT will also assess how your stroke affects you e.g. any problems with your memory and concentration or your interpretation of what you see or hear around you.

Depending on your specific difficulties an OT can work out ways to deal with problem areas. Taking part in a range of activities, such as playing board games, will all have a specific purpose. Try to be patient, as the purposes of such activities may not always be immediately obvious to you.

OTs can help with:

Everyday tasks like dressing, washing, eating, and possibly preparing simple food and drinks.
Other practical daily activities such as shopping and managing money.
Social activities that are important to you, such as gardening, painting, or getting out to see friends.
Trying new hobbies.
Developing skills you may need if you hope to return to work. This could be to your previous job or to a new job which is better suited to any limitations caused by your stroke.
Adaptations to your home (e.g. ramps or handrails) to help your mobility and independence at home.

Speech and language therapists

Speech and language therapists see people who have difficulties with speaking, understanding speech, reading and writing and / or problems with swallowing.

After doing a detailed assessment of any communication difficulties the speech and language therapist can work out which techniques will be of particular help to you.

If your communication difficulties are likely to be long lasting, your speech and language therapist may help you find alternative ways of communicating.
Depending on the effects of your stroke, this might involve using gestures or using a communication aid or a computer. It is helpful to practice these new communication skills with your family and with the nurses who are caring for you.

If your stroke has caused swallowing difficulties you may have difficulty eating and drinking. Your speech and language therapist will carry out a thorough assessment to diagnose the exact problem and advise you, and those caring for you, on appropriate and safe ways for you to eat and drink.

Dietitians

Dietitians see people who have difficulties with their dietary needs or who have any problems with eating and drinking.

In hospital they will oversee any special dietary requirements and advise you, and those caring for you, on appropriate and safe ways for you to eat and drink.

Clinical psychologists

Clinical psychologists are often involved in helping and assessing people whose stroke has caused problems with thinking, learning, concentrating, memory, making decisions, reasoning and planning. These are known as cognitive problems.

Psychologists may also be involved in assessing behavioural problems caused by a stroke.

Psychological problems such as depression or anxiety, or difficulties relating to other people may be referred for psychotherapy or counselling.

Social workers

Social workers work with people to help them understand, tackle, and find solutions to the difficulties that they face in order to live more successfully within their local community.

If needed a social worker can assess your needs and plan a package of care which will support you to live at home.

Social workers can help with:

Stroke Information