Blocked blood vessels cause most strokes because they cut the flow of oxygen and nutrients to the brain. Some strokes happen when there’s bleeding in the brain. Any brain damage needs immediate medical care for the best chances of recovery.

Learn more about stroke treatment.

Your stroke experience is unique to you. After a stroke, you may notice:

• Communication changes: Trouble with language, speaking, listening and understanding
• Emotional or personality changes: Feeling more forgetful, careless, annoyed, confused, anxious, angry or depressed
• Memory and thinking challenges: Difficulties using short-term or long-term memory, planning, organizing ideas, making decisions or completing tasks
• Physical changes: Weakness or paralysis, fatigue, stiff or tight muscles, seizures, pain, balance issues, vision problems, swallowing challenges and incontinence

Quality rehabilitation after stroke improves your chances of recovering any functions the stroke has affected.

Often, we see the most improvement in the first 3 months. While you’re here, specialists work with you to improve how you’re moving, thinking and feeling and prepare you to return home or to your community.

Additionally, if you’ve had a stroke, you’re at a higher risk of having another stroke within the first month. Stroke rehabilitation specialists can keep you safe and help with stroke prevention.

Stroke rehabilitation settings can vary based on your location and insurance. Options may include:

• Home health agency: Services for patients who can’t leave home
• Inpatient rehabilitation facility (IRF): Intensive 24-hour rehabilitation care with supervision from a rehabilitation team who provide at least 3 hours of intensive therapies, 5 days a week
• Long-term acute care facility: Hospital-level care for patients with complex chronic medical needs
• Nursing home: Care for patients who can’t live by themselves
• Outpatient clinic: Care for patients who can leave home for therapy
• Skilled nursing facility (SNF): Lower-intensity, daily skilled nursing or rehabilitation care

After you’re admitted to inpatient rehabilitation at Providence St. Elias, you’re assigned to a rehabilitation team who works with you throughout most of your stay.

Your team may include:

• Hospitalists
• Nurse
• Occupational therapist
• Physiatrist, which is a doctor specializing in rehabilitation
• Physical therapist
• Social worker and case manager
• Speech and language pathologist

Other specialists might include:

• Dietitians
• Lymphedema therapist
• Orthotist
• Neuro optometrist
• Pharmacists
• Psychologists
• Recreational therapists
• Respiratory therapists

During your first few days at St. Elias, you receive evaluations from all your caregivers. These evaluations help us determine your rehabilitation goals and treatment plan.

As part of inpatient rehabilitation, you complete intensive therapies for at least 3 hours a day, 5 days a week. You’ll have a daily therapy schedule, so you know what to expect.

We encourage friends and family who will be helping after you’re discharged to attend and participate in therapy sessions.

All patients have private rooms, as well as access to a day room and laundry services.

Recovery from a stroke takes time, and everyone heals differently. Often, we see the most improvement in the first 3 months. Our therapists help you find the right balance, so that you’re challenged enough to help you improve without getting overwhelmed.

Your team meets weekly to discuss your progress and when you may be ready to leave the hospital. We provide recommendations for follow-up therapies, medical care and community services that support your continued recovery once you transition home or back to your community.

Your time at the hospital is one step in your stroke recovery. We want to help you return home or to your community for continued healing.

Before you’re discharged, we’ll recommend services that support you, such as outpatient therapies, home health therapies or nursing, and personal care assistant (PCA) services.

We can also help determine if you need an extended care facility, assisted living facility or skilled nursing facility.

Your case manager helps you schedule required follow-up appointments. We also make sure you understand any medications you need.

When you survive a stroke, knowing the underlying cause of the stroke can help prevent another one. Some risk factors for stroke are out of your control, but you can make lifestyle changes to reduce your risk:

• Check for and manage atrial fibrillation
• Check for unmanaged sleep apnea
• Eat a diet low in salt, saturated fats and processed foods
• Exercise regularly
• Limit alcohol intake
• Maintain healthy cholesterol levels
• Maintain healthy weight
• Manage diabetes with medication and diet
• Manage stress
• Monitor and control blood pressure
• Quit smoking

We have many organizations in Alaska to support you and your loved ones with stroke recovery. Examples include:

• Mended Hearts of Anchorage
  • Call the Heartline Hotline at 1-844-HEART87 (1-844-432-7887)
  • Or text 229-252-2756
• American Heart Association
• American Stroke Association
• Alaska Department of Health
• YMCA of Alaska