Stroke Rehabilitation

What is it?

Once a stroke patient has received emergency treatment and no longer is in a life-threatening situation, the journey to recovery begins. Loyola’s stroke program offers a wide variety of services to help stroke survivors achieve the best possible quality of life, including physical, occupational and speech therapies. Stroke rehabilitation is critical to regaining functions and skills that may have been lost due to brain damage from the stroke. Rehabilitation aims to help patients improve their quality of life and reclaim independence. Loyola offers extensive rehabilitation services for hospitalized and outpatient adults and children.

How is it done?

A multidisciplinary team of physicians, rehabilitation nurses, licensed physical and occupational therapists, social workers and psychologists work with our patients to improve motor function, mobility, gait, speech, coordination and psychological well-being. The curriculum may include:

• Speech therapy to improve communication disorders
• Physical therapy to help muscle strength, coordination and balance
• Cognitive evaluation and psychological testing
• Occupational therapy to regain practical skills for everyday use

For many patients, their families and caregivers, recovering from a stroke is a lifelong process. The duration may depend on the severity of the stroke and how it progressed. You are more likely to regain your abilities and your independence if you start rehabilitation in the first few months after your stroke. It is important to start soon and do a little every day.

The Loyola difference

The cooperation and support of a stroke survivor’s family is a critical factor in recovery. Loyola also focuses on patient and family support, offering rehabilitation and post-stroke support groups and counseling.

For the fifth year in a row, Loyola University Medical Center has won the Get with the Guidelines® - Stroke Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award from the American Heart Association. U.S. News & World Report also ranked us as a high-performing hospital in Neurology and Neurosurgery. Loyola has been certified by the Joint Commission as an Advanced Primary Stroke Center.