Stroke risk increases with age

From press release

As we recognize Stroke Awareness Month in May, the following numbers shed light on the potential exponential growth of stroke sufferers and survivors.

- According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the older population will burgeon between the years 2010 and 2030 as the “baby boom” generation reaches age 65.

- At the same time, one of the most frequently occurring conditions in older persons happens to be hypertension (41 percent), a leading indicator for stroke.

- Family members need to know not only the warning signs of stroke, but the recovery options as well.

For stroke survivors, Van Matre HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital offers a unique combination of both traditional and technological therapeutic advances to provide individualized stroke recovery plans based on specific patient needs. In addition, the hospital has achieved recognition as a HealthSouth Stroke Center of Excellence, meaning it has met a rigid standard for excellence in rehabilitation and patient care.

Family members and caregivers should do their own research and ask the following questions when looking at rehabilitation options following stroke:

→ Does the organization use a “team approach” as the model for rehabilitation?

→ Is there a rehabilitation specialist leading the team?

→ Are educational groups and seminars provided?

→ How accessible is staff?

→ How many hours of therapy are provided each day?

→ How many patients return home–instead of going to nursing homes?

→ How often does the doctor visit patients?

→ What is the average length of stay?

→ Is there a case manager who works with the family?

→ Are there programs that concentrate on activities of daily living?

→ What about vocational training?

→ How extensive is your cognitive rehabilitation program?

Van Matre provides intense therapy with an average of 3-5 hours of therapy a day, five to six days a week, depending on the patient’s level. They use a team approach and have a physician on site who makes daily rounds. The average length of stay for a stroke patient is 16 days with 83 percent of stroke patients being discharge to home.

In addition, Van Matre offers new technology-based therapy utilizing specialized computer software and balance platforms, body-weight supported treadmill training, dynamic wrist/hand splitting, and gait assessment training systems.

While the incidents of stroke may be on the rise, Van Matre is working hard to make sure those who experience a stroke get the intense therapy they need to return home and maintain an independent lifestyle.

About Van Matre HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital

Van Matre HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital is a 50-bed inpatient rehabilitation hospital that provides a higher level of rehabilitative care to patients who are recovering from stroke and other neurological disorders, brain and spinal cord injury, amputations, orthopedic, cardiac and pulmonary conditions. Accredited by The Joint Commission and the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities, the hospital is at 950 S. Mulford in Rockford; its Web site is www.rockfordhealthsystem.org.

Van Matre HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital is a partnership between Rockford Health System, the area’s largest healthcare delivery system, and HealthSouth Corporation, the nation’a leading provider of inpatient rehabilitative care.

From the May 26-June 1, 2010 issue