Adult Neuro Rehabilitation and What OT/PT/ST Can Do For You!

Adult Neuro Rehabilitation and What OT/PT/ST Can Do For You!

At Comprehensive Speech and Therapy Center, we recognize that suffering a stroke or other neurological ailment can affect your ability to perform those tasks that are important to you. Our team of occupational, physical and speech therapists work as a team with you to restore your ability to complete your daily tasks with the least amount of restrictions possible. We work with you one-on-one or in a  co-treating situation with an additional therapist to provide the most conducive environment for therapy.

Occupational therapists are concerned with your ability to complete activities of daily living which include, but are not limited to personal grooming/hygiene, transfers, preparing meals and completing housework and even getting you back into the workplace. Therapists break down activities into their component parts and practice those steps with a focus on ease and safety, then put the activity back together and work on the task as a whole. The goal is to restore performance, or teach compensatory strategies for individuals to relearn how to complete tasks safely.  Often individuals suffering from strokes avoid using their affected side; therefore occupational therapists work to encourage the individuals to avoid disuse of the affected limbs and teach strategies to incorporate the affected side in everyday tasks. The main focus for occupational therapy is establishing ways of completing tasks by altering the components such as using one handed dressing techniques, reworking the task, and modifying the home to allow the individual the ability to complete the task in the least restrictive environment possible.

Physical therapists focus on treating disabilities related to motor and sensory impairments. These therapists focus on restoring natural movement of the body. These therapists assess range of motion, strength, endurance, gait and sensation to gather information to develop an individualized treatment plan that focuses on regaining functional mobility within the home and community. They aim to reduce the residual deficits and establish home exercise programs to allow the individual to continue their rehabilitation at home working on isolated muscles and muscle groups as a whole to practice skills such as balance, coordination, and ambulation with and without an assistive device, ascending/descending stairs, and maneuvering around obstacles safely.

Speech-language pathologists can help individuals relearn how to use language or develop alternative means of communicating, as well as evaluating the potential need for an augmentative communication device.  They can assist in improving the ability to chew and swallow as well as work on cognitive strategies and social skills. Short and long term memory problems are often a concern. These can include following directions, comprehension skills and task initiation.

Strokes and other neurological dysfunctions can cause changes in sensation, muscle tone and reflexes, making chewing and swallowing foods difficult. Speech and occupational therapists can work independently and as a team to minimize chewing and swallowing difficulties by positioning the individual, changing the thickness of foods and liquids, improve motor coordination and breaking down the steps to increase independence in chewing and swallowing.  

Allison Ackels, OTR/L, CSCS

Allison earned her bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology, specializing in fitness leadership and health promotions from Michigan State University and earned her master’s degree in Occupational Therapy from Baker College. She has worked in a variety of settings including hospitals and skilled nursing facilities. She worked as a student athletic trainer at Michigan State University for women's crew, football, dance, hockey and baseball teams. She is also a certified strength and conditioning coach through the National Strength and Conditioning Association.   Allison has been patiently training her Newfoundland, Diesel, to become a therapy dog.  Diesel has grown out of his rambunctious stage and loves meeting new people.

Photo sources: occupationaltherapyonline.net & stmaryhealthcare.org

Copyright 2012 Comprehensive Speech and Therapy Center

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