Stroke Assessment Certification Enhances Physical Therapy Capabilities at All Locations
Altercare Centers for Rehabilitation & Nursing Care feature stroke assessment certification to enhance physical therapy capabilities
To better serve the needs of people recovering from strokes and to enhance the continuum of medical treatment from the acute care to the post-acute care setting, all Physical Therapists and Physical Therapy Assistants at every Altercare Centers location have received the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Stroke Scale Certification.
The NIH Stroke Scale is used as the standard scale to quickly assess the damage caused by a stroke. It is suggested that this scale is given immediately in the ER when a patient presents with stroke symptoms. The scale is also recommended at intervals of post-treatment care including at 2 hours, 24 hours, 7-10 days, and 90 days. The NIH stroke scale has been shown to be a predictor of both short-term and long-term outcomes of stroke patients.
With this certification, Altercare Centers therapists will be able to understand the data obtained from the hospital related to the scale, and can perform the scale to quickly isolate what daily functions have been affected by the stroke. Therapists will then be able to focus on specific areas when they develop a rehabilitation plan of care.
Stroke is the leading cause of adult disability, and on the average, someone in the United States suffers a stroke every 45 seconds. Recovering from a neurological injury or illness is a demanding process for patients and their families. To help people experience rehabilitation success, the compassionate, experienced therapists at Altercare Centers provide the best combination of clinical abilities and compassionate care
In addition to physical therapy care, Altercare Centers also provide other therapy services for neurological rehabilitation such as speech therapy, which includes swallowing treatment, cognitive treatment and language therapy. To restore and improve the functions needed for daily living, occupational therapy focuses on neuromuscular retraining, visual-perceptual skill development, and adaptive equipment assessment and instruction.