Summary
Treatment protocols for management of
stroke patients should incorporate rehabilitation
interventions throughout all phases
of care, from the acute unit through to outpatient
therapy after discharge and to reintegration
into family and community.
Within this rehabilitation continuum, specific
interventions change as the patient
progresses. In the acute unit, when the
focus of care is on neurologic and medical
issues, rehabilitation interventions are
largely preventive and supportive. Efforts
are directed at limiting the debilitating
effects of bed rest by activating patients as
early as possible and aim to prevent complications
such as contractures that would
otherwise interfere with functional recovery.
It is believed that early activation and
transition of patients as quickly as possible
into more intensive rehabilitation will minimize
complications, expedite recovery,
and improve ultimate outcome.