Nearly 800,000 people suffer strokes in the U.S. each year – about one stroke every 40 seconds, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
And, because stroke is also the No. 1 cause of serious, long-term disability in the country, stroke sufferers often must re-learn adaptive ways to accomplish everyday tasks that were once considered easy and commonplace.
This is where occupational therapy comes into play.
Occupational therapists are experts in helping survivors learn to overcome and adapt to muscular and neurological limitations following a stroke so they can perform the daily tasks necessary to live life as active and independently as possible.
What is a Stroke?
A stroke most often occurs when the blood supply is reduced or interrupted to a part of the brain, cutting off necessary oxygen and nutrients for a period of time.
This lack of blood supply can quickly lead to the death of brain cells, causing damage to the brain that can be both permanent. This damage may lead to:
- Paralysis
- Loss of Muscle Movement
- Memory Loss or Difficulty with Thought
- Difficulty Talking or Swallowing
- Pain
- Problems Controlling Emotions
Such complications, of course, can make it difficult to perform many of the daily tasks necessary for everyday living – tasks such as getting out of bed, walking, getting dressed, eating and drinking, using the bathroom, maintaining personal hygiene, and even social interactions.
How Do Occupational Therapists Help?
Often, the rehab process following a stroke requires a multi-disciplinary approach with an aim of decreasing stroke’s consequences to long-term daily living.
For occupational therapists, this involves helping stroke survivors improve basic daily skills as well as teaching strategies for overcoming skills lost after the stroke – movements like sitting up, getting dressed, and safely moving about the home.
They do this by first assessing a person’s abilities, needs and rehab goals following the stroke. An occupational therapist may evaluate a patient’s attempt to perform difficult tasks, then assess their environment at home, where they work, etc.
Once the OT has clearly identified needs and deficiencies, she or he will use this to help them develop a course of treatment that may include alternative ways of accomplishing tasks, modifications within the home environment, practice exercises for improving movements, and/or the use of special equipment or aids.
If you or a loved one has suffered a stroke and would like to learn more about how occupational therapy can help develop a higher qualify of life and independence, please call us today!