Older adults who have been affected by any neurological condition, including stroke, Parkinson’s, balance disorders, Multiple Sclerosis, or even carpal tunnel, often have difficulty with day-to-day activities and require neurological rehabilitation to return to a better quality of life. Neurological rehabilitation is just as it sounds: rehabilitation for those with diseases or trauma in the nervous system. Neurological rehabilitation can be a bit more intensive than orthopedic rehabilitation, due to the fact that cognitive therapy is often required on top of physical therapy, and in some cases, speech therapy.
Possible neurological conditions requiring rehabilitation:
- Stroke
- ALS/Lou Gehrig’s disease
- Cerebral palsy
- Guillain-Barre syndrome
- Muscular dystrophy
- Multiple Sclerosis
- Parkinson’s disease
- Balance disorders
- Infections (such as meningitis, encephalitis, polio, brain abscesses)
- Spinal cord injury
- Bell’s palsy
- Seizure disorder
- Alzheimer’s disease
- Huntington’s disease
What to expect from a neurological rehabilitation program
What to expect from a neurological rehabilitation program truly depends on you or your loved one’s specific conditions or needs. Whether inpatient or outpatient, most programs include a team of therapists and doctors that will create a plan with various phases to help regain the utmost level of independence possible. That plan may or may not include the following:
- Speech therapy to assist with speaking, reading, or writing
- Swallow therapies
- Relearning daily activities such as eating, dressing, bathing, housekeeping, and cooking
- Bladder and bowel control
- Re-education of social and behavioral skills
- Mobility training, muscle control and function, gait training, and balance
- Targeted exercise programs to maintain strength and range of motion
- Cognitive activities that improve concentration and memory
- Nutritional counseling
- Stress management
- Emotional support
- Home care needs assessments
- Family education and counseling
It is important for you and your loved ones to be involved and actively engaged with the rehabilitation team and the goals set forth within the plan to ensure progress and overall quality of life is regained and maintained.
For information on the rehabilitation programs at Wesley Place Rehab, visit Wesley Place.
Information taken from: http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/ and https://www.corahealth.com/
Carrie Robertson
Research & Community Education
Chicago Skilled Nursing
Chicago Senior Living
