Stroke: The recovery team

You will work with a team of health care providers. These may include any of the following:

Doctor

A doctor will be in charge of your care. This doctor may be a(n):

• family doctor
• internist, a primary care doctor who specializes in adult or internal medicine
• geriatrician, a doctor who works with older adult patients
• neurologist, a doctor who diagnoses and treats diseases of the brain and nervous system
• physiatrist, a doctor who works in physical medicine and rehabilitation

Nurses

Nurses will closely watch your ability to eat and swallow, move and transfer. They will monitor your bowel and bladder function and the condition of your skin.

Nurses will give you your medicine and help you with therapy. They will educate you and your family about stroke and medicines.

Nurses will also work with the rest of the health care team to assesses your and your family's emotional response to stroke.

Pharmacist

The pharmacist will supply the medicine ordered by your doctor. He or she will watch to make sure your medicines work together without side effects.

Dietitian

A dietitian will look at your nutritional needs. He or she will work with health care team to create a diet for you.

Occupational therapist (OT)

The occupational therapist will look at your ability to do everyday activities. These include eating, grooming, dressing, bathing, doing housework and going to the bathroom.

He or she will also look at and treat stroke-related problems (such as memory, judgment or safety) and vision. The occupational therapist helps you gain arm strength and coordination.

Physical therapist (PT)

Physical therapists treat problems with balance, coordination, strength, walking and transfers (getting yourself in and out of a chair, bed or car). They help patients learn to use mobility aids such as canes, walkers or wheelchairs.

Your physical therapist will teach you balance and strength exercises and help you practice walking and transfers. He or she also will teach your family members how to help you walk, transfer and do exercises.

Speech-language pathologist (SLP)

A speech-language pathologist treats your problems with swallowing, speaking, understanding, reading and writing. He or she may also help you with your attention span, problem-solving and memory skills. He or she will help you regain language skills or teach you other ways to communicate.

Social worker

The social worker looks at your psychosocial needs and helps plan for your discharge needs. If you are going home, the social worker will see there is accessible housing and trained caregivers. He or she will help you and your family with decisions about a new living place, if needed.

The social worker can also help get financial and insurance information for you.

Stroke outreach volunteer

A volunteer who is a stroke survivor will meet with you on a one-to-one basis through this peer program. Contact your social worker for more information