Stroke Rehabilitation: Occupational Therapy Research

The researchers attempt to minimize threats to external validity. The authors claims that the study has a structured management, and better coordination of care between the stroke multidisciplinary care team and the primary care team; significant improvements of median BI scores over a 12 month period was noted (z=−3.022, P = 0.003) (Aziz et al., 2013, p.5). This explains the prognosis of patients from moderately dependent on care givers to slightly dependent after one year. A multidisciplinary team comprise of stroke rehabilitation consultant, a family medicine consultant, two nurses (includes the stroke coordinator), and a Clinic aide are assigned for coordinating appointments and home visits, providing health education for stroke patients and family, and maintaining a registry of LTSC

The patients that I've been fortunate enough to deal with have all generally been able to get a handle on the idea that through Occupation Therapy sessions there is always a possibility for growth, change, Improvement, and development. In other words, the condition they are in now is not the condition they will be ‘sentenced’ to for the rest of their lives. Occupational therapy is about changing, improving, and offering a way forward with their ability to care for themselves and achieve some measure of independence beyond what they may be enduring at the moment. The psychosocial factors that can inhibit this growth can be categorized as their ‘old way of doing things’ versus the necessity of abandoned the old ways and developing new ways In order to function and even thrive. Stroke patients, in my experience in this rotation, have by far the most difficult time simply because the stroke couples a high level of disability with a high level of uncertainty. It is important to note, however, that a stroke victim may, with early and effective treatment, have a high level of recovery potential as well. The psychosocial factors that a person has previously defined themselves by may change, but

Insight types of assistance like the use of Braille, large print, magnification devices, white cane, guide dog and support person such as a sighted guide.

J. (2015). Addressing the burden of stroke caregivers: a literature review. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 24(17-18), 2376-2382. doi:10.1111/jocn.12884

A major impetus to improving artificial limbs started when the United States encouraged companies to improve prosthetics instead of munitions (Norton, 2007). The combination of lighter materials and robotics assist has created huge advancements in functionality and has dramatically improved quality of life and potential for independent living. Even with the advancement of these limbs, the basic mechanical principals are still the same. Modern times allow for many different types of limbs to be created. Limbs can be created to match skin tone, freckles and fingerprints. There are three many ways a limb can be made to move. The first is attaching the limb to a moving body part to act as a gear shifter. Another variation is a motor attached and the person can switch modes by a mechanical toggle shift. The most advanced movement is the myoelectric capability. This is when electrodes are placed on the muscles of the residual limb. When contracted the arm will move according to which electrode fired. A microprocessor can also be attached to learn exactly how the person walks (Clements, 2008). Modern prosthetics offer valuable life skills, yet are very

Afflicted by left-side Hemiplegia and bound to a wheelchair, my grandmother’s life was not one of ease. By the time I was born she had been living with her barriers for thirty years and had learned to compensate due to her astounding will and surrounding subpar medical practices. As a child I thought nothing of the fact that my grandmother was stricken with paralysis until I witnessed her take a turn for the worse and suffer another hemorrhagic stroke. Her recovery was long and arduous yet, it was a blessing that brought us closer together and nudged me down the path of Occupational Therapy.

Strokes are known as the leading cause of acquired disability in adults where between 20-30% are left unable to walk, and leaving those who are able to walk, with a moderate to severe walking disability (Maguire et al., 2012). This disability results in a huge socioeconomic impact on the patients and their families lives. In order to improve their quality of life, an improvement in balance is the important first step in which is crucial to enable more independent movement, for example walking.

As the client becomes able to participate in therapy the OT would assess functions relating to movement of the upper extremity, ADLs, cognition, vision and perception sensation, Joint ROM, motor control, Dysphagia and emotional and behavioral factors (Tipton-Burton, McLaughlin, Englander, 2013). The occupational therapist will use the information gathered to determine the best ways to perform daily living skills with the focus on the clients’ occupations (Tipton-Burton, McLaughlin, Englander, 2013). Some of the key assessment used during the rehabilitation phase are the Mayo-Portland Adaptability Inventory, Moss Attention Rating Scale, Neurobehavioral Rating Scale and the Participation Objective, Participation Subjective assessments (Powell,

While there are many ways that a person can specialize in the field of occupational therapy, one of the profession’s draws exists in the potential for variety and diversity. The goal of occupational therapy is to provide therapies and alternatives that allow clients to return to the things that they need to be able to do, and the things they want to be able to do. This is obviously a broad definition, and one that can be achieved in various groups, and through various methods. Occupational therapists can specialize in hand therapy, stroke rehabilitation, driving, community mobility, low vision patients, pediatrics, or geriatrics. In any of these specialties, a therapist can address their patient’s daily living activities, leisure, work, education, or social participation. An increased ability to participate in any of these activities can be facilitated through a variety of treatments: splinting, modalities, adaptive equipment, task modification, environmental modification, or activities centered on desired occupations.

People who had strokes have a hard time getting back on their feet to do ADL’s and their best strategy for gaining their independence is by building new skills. As a patient/client starts to gain experience and build new tactics with their areas of development, they’re more likely to be successful in performing activities by using their newly adapted

This study was involved in the LAS-II (a multicenter cluster randomized controlled trial). There was an intervention group, receiving the CADL, as well as a control group, receiving the normal ADL intervention. Chosen for the study in LAS-II were those treated for an acute stroke in a stroke unit less than three months or three months after the stroke occurred. In addition, those eligible for the study had to have met the following conditions: be dependent in at least two ADL’s, not having been diagnosed with dementia, able to fully understand and follow instructions, were referred for rehabilitation to one of the 16 units participating in LAS-II. In this study, the occupational therapists were participants recruited as well. Out of 44 occupational therapists’ that attended five

Stroke is the third leading cause of death, and the leading cause of adult neurologic disability in Canada. After the age of 55, the risk of stroke is doubled every 10 years (Brunner & Day, 2010). Despite advances in stroke management post stroke complications occur. Nurses must focus on developing successful strategies to promote home and community based care for victims of completed stroke in order for them to resume their daily life as safely and independently as possible. Strategies must target prevention of future strokes, since a stroke survivor has a 20% chance of having another stroke within 2 years, and care management after the cerebrovascular accident. Effective strategies must be aimed at restoring patient’s independence by improving physical, mental and emotional functions. Three nursing strategies to promote this include: continuous patient education, patient and/or family goal setting, as well as providing psychosocial support to the patient’s family or primary caregiver(s). This paper will analyze why these three proposed strategies are crucial to promote home and community based care, as well as ways these strategies can be implemented in such settings in order to improve the outcome for post-stroke patients.

Physical therapists working at these large hospitals throughout the Midwest where recruitment will occur will be formally trained how on how to perform MT so that therapists will be consistent within and between patients. Both groups will receive 1 hour of MT of the upper extremity 5 days a week for 4 weeks. In addition to this treatment, the physical therapist will also work with patients in both groups on limb activation for 1 hour 5 days a week for 4 weeks and provide the more traditional physical therapy given to stroke patients, such as doing exercises to improve strength in the upper and lower extremity on the affected side involving neuromuscular re-education, pre-walking functional activities, weight shifts in sitting or standing, or the maintenance of unassisted

My research addresses rehabilitation post-stroke, primarily improving lower extremity function. I study factors contributing to compensation, which involves greater than normal use of the non-impaired limb compared to the impaired limb. Compensation can be detrimental to rehabilitation as the impaired limb is underutilized and function cannot be restored. This may lead to weakness and impaired mobility/gait.

support early intervention of cognitive rehabilitation of having a great effect on improving ADL participation in stroke patient. The first article from Cochrane library titled “Cognitive rehabilitation for executive dysfunction in adults with stroke or other adult non-progressive acquired brain damage” by Charlie et al discuss which adaptive technique was used to assist stroke survivors who have cognitive impairment, but intact motor function to became independent in the ADL. The research was completed on “19 studies of 907 randomized participants, 496 TBI, 344 strokes, 67 other acquired brain injury. Data were available to potentially include 13 of the studies within meta-analyses (770 participants, 417 TBI, 304 stroke, 49 other acquired brain injury), with 660 participants who are related to the research were included in the treatment groups to be studied in the review. Studies performed during the research were related to (1) cognitive rehabilitation versus sensorimotor meta-analyses (one study, 86 participants), (2) cognitive rehabilitation versus no intervention or placebo meta-analyses (four studies, 184 participants) and (3) experimental cognitive rehabilitation versus standard cognitive rehabilitation meta-analyses (eight studies, 404 participants)”