Healthy Living Newsletter
Rehabilitation After Stroke
For individuals who suffer a stroke, local experts are
available to assist.
The Mercy Inpatient Rehabilitation program has been providing
care to stroke patients for 19 years. This means that local
access can help area residents obtain outstanding care
right in the community.
“Rehabilitation following a stroke should begin
as early as the patient is medially stable (typically within
72 hours),” explains Nick Reina, MD, Mercy Hospital’s
physiatrist. “Early intervention optimizes the patient’s
potential for recovery.”
Mercy’s Inpatient Rehabilitation program for stroke
is medically supervised through the care of a physiatrist,
a physician specially trained in physical medicine and
rehabilitation.
Rehabilitation programs through the care of a physiatrist
have been shown to improve functional outcomes for patients
with stroke. Health care costs are also minimized when
compared to long-term placement in nursing facilities.
Mercy’s program provides a broad array of both
inpatient services and access to aftercare opportunities.
“We’re proud of the service we provide at
Mercy,” explains Dr. Reina. “As a matter of
fact, results of an annual survey show that 96 percent
of patients with stroke, who were treated at Mercy, were
discharged back into a community setting. This compares
to the national average of only 86 percent.”
Stroke can strike anyone at any age, but is more prevalent
in individuals over the age of 55, when the rate of hypertension
increases. The average age of patients treated for stroke
in Mercy Hospital’s program is 74 years of age.
For more information regarding stroke prevention and
rehabilitation, talk to your doctor. To speak with a Mercy
Inpatient Rehabilitation referral coordinator, call (810)
966-3160.
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