When you or a loved one experiences a stroke, it can be devastating. There are so many unknowns, that it can be heart wrenching waiting to see the results. However, with better stroke recognition and protocol in healthcare settings, professionals are getting better and better at saving lives of stroke patients.
When individuals are in recovery from a stroke, all of the burden doesn’t fall on one specific healthcare provider. There is a whole healthcare team that oversees the recovery of that individual. Without that team, there are many deficits that would persist in these individuals and severely decrease their quality of life.
It’s important to first, understand what a stroke is, and second, understand the roles that all of the healthcare team members play. By understanding all of this, you can ensure that your loved one is getting adequate care, while also being very well aware of all of your options.
What is a stroke?
A stroke is a disruption of blood flow in your brain due to a brain clot. This clot can come from a variety of different sources. Commonly, there are plaques in arteries that narrow the blood vessel. Pieces of those plaques can break off and be logged in the smaller arteries of the brain – disrupting blood flow. This is problematic because the brain is very sensitive to ischemia, or a lack of oxygen. It cannot go long periods of time without getting adequate oxygen and nutrients before it begins to die and become non-functioning.
Signs of a stroke include facial drooping, slurred speech, and loss of control of their limbs, particularly their arms. It’s important if you recognize any of these signs, that you begin to time how long they last before emergency help arrives. Call 911 immediately so they can begin life saving interventions. The longer one goes without help, the less chance of survival they may have. Once the paramedics arrive, that begins the cascade of help from the healthcare team.
Paramedic
Paramedics are often first-responders in an emergency situation. They are first on the scene and assess the situation. After getting the individual’s history, they immediately do a physical exam, begin taking vital signs, delivering oxygen, and taking any other life-saving measures they can to help get the individual from the scene to the hospital. They report to the hospital their findings and help transport the individual safely. They also can start an IV, take blood sugar levels, and administer tPA, which is an antiplatelet medication to help break up the clot and restore some blood flow until individuals can make it to the hospital.
Their main role is the keep the individual alive and do things that will save time in the emergency room. After they have done all they can do, they will pass them off to the nurses and doctors who are waiting in the emergency room.
Physician
Upon arrival to the hospital, patients are immediately taken for imaging. They receive a CT, or computed tomography, which can diagnose the type of stroke a patient is having. Those who have had a stroke have priority status of getting a CT as soon as possible. The most common type of stroke is an ischemic, as described above. The tPA medication dissolves the clot that is blocking the blood flow to the brain. The earlier it is administered, the better.
Physicians may continue to treat strokes with medication, or they may decide to do a procedure. Emergency endovascular procedures, such as medications delivered directly to the brain or clots removed with stent retrievers, can also be treatment options. After that, the physician is monitoring the recovery of the patient, ensure they don’t reclot, or have any other complications.
Nurse
Nurses are the backbone of the hospital system. They are more available than physicians and carry out the orders and hands-on care of patients who have had strokes. They, along with technicians, assist with daily care of patients, administration of medications, and communication with the physician and other healthcare members to make sure the physician gets what they need. It is often the nurses that communicate with the family as well, and work together with them to ensure their family member is getting great care.
Physical Therapist
The physical therapist is a part of the recovery. When you family member is ready, they will need to begin trying to gain back function as soon as possible. Increased sedentariness or immobility will lead to a permanent loss of function. Depending on the location of the stroke, there may be certain functions that are lost. Speech, walking, talking, movement, etc., are just a few examples of some of the post-stroke deficits that can take place. It is the job of the physical therapist to encourage use of extremities to try and gain or maintain function. They work together with the other therapists, physicians, and nurses to get patients active.
Occupational Therapist
Occupational therapists also work on function, but their main goal is not just mobility. Their main goal is helping individuals live as independently as possible. After a stroke, many patients lose their ability to dress themselves, eat, get around, etc. This can feel really demoralizing and lead to some transition difficulties. The more they can do by themselves, the less they will feel like a “baby”. Occupational therapy helps individual learn to eat and feed themselves, transfer themselves from the bed to wheelchairs or walkers, and function as much as possible without the assistance of others.
Speech Therapist
Speech therapists help with a variety of oral-related functions. They help with speech, as many stroke patients are unable to communicate or talk anymore. Speech can help them learn how to reform sounds with their mouths and help them gain some communication function. Speech therapists also help individuals learn how to eat and swallow. These functions can also be lost after a stroke, and they need help learning how to properly eat with accidentally inhaling anything. The better they become at those functions, they can try and get back to their regular diet and not just soft foods.
Home Health Aide
After in-hospital care has ended, there still may be some issues with returning home. Home health aides are the perfect help for individuals who need assistance but do not have familial caregivers that can be there 24/7. Home health aides, like those at Diverse Health Services, provide a variety of home health services including transportation to appointments, help with cooking and feeding, medication dispensing, cleaning and domestic duties, and companionship. Please click on our services to see what we offer and if we are a good fit for your family!
Resources:
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/stroke/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20350119#:~:text=Emergency%20IV%20medication.&text=An%20IV%20injection%20of%20recombinant,within%20the%20first%20three%20hours.
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