If you have suffered a stroke, then your attending physician may recommend that you continue to recover in a skilled nursing stroke recovery center. These centers provide intense post-stroke treatments to help promote both neurological and physical functioning and are often covered by most medical insurance plans. Here are some treatments you may receive in the skilled nursing stroke recovery center to help prepare you for when you are discharged home.  

Speech Therapy

Neurological insults, such as strokes and traumatic brain injuries, can impair your ability to speak and swallow. Early interventional speech therapy can help prevent further loss of function and it may help lower your risk for choking and aphasia. If you develop aphasia, you may lose your ability to understand what people are saying and have trouble expressing yourself. The speech therapist at the stroke recovery center will teach you how to do swallowing exercises, such as the chin tuck, so that you can swallow your food more effectively. The chin tuck helps prevent food from getting stuck in your throat and choking.

The speech therapist may also administer a swallowing evaluation to determine which types of foods and liquids are safe for you to consume. Some stroke patients require mechanically altered foods such as pureed or chopped foods. In addition, many stroke patients are unable to swallow thin liquids, and because of this, the therapist may recommend a special thickener to add to your liquids so that they can be swallowed easier and reduce the risk of choking and coughing.

Occupational And Physical Therapy

The post-stroke recovery center can also provide occupational and physical therapy. During your sessions, the therapists will teach you exercises to help promote mobility, strength, range of motion, and proper balance. You will also relearn the skills it takes for you to reenter the job market so that you can better perform in your former occupational role.

During your occupational therapy sessions, you may also learn how to grasp utensils such as spoons and forks; however, if you have problems holding a utensil, the therapist may provide you with special utensils with "built-up" handles. The handles on these utensils are usually thicker so that they are easier to grip and less likely to fall out of your hand when eating.

If you have suffered a stroke, consider the above benefits of recuperating at a post-stroke recovery center. Stroke patients typically remain at these facilities for a couple of months, but depending upon your progress and neurological functioning, your physician may recommend either a shorter stay or a lengthier one. 

Contact a local recovery center, such as Still Waters Recovery Homes, to learn more.