Rehabilitation
Physical, occupational and speech therapists and a physiatrist evaluate each stroke patient within 24 hours of admission, and rehabilitative therapy begins almost immediately. Upstate offers an inpatient rehabilitative unit, where patients may be moved once they are able to handle three hours per day of therapy.
Concentrated, comprehensive and focused rehabilitation is key to maintaining or improving your quality of life after a stroke. Rehabilitative counselors offer support for patients in returning to work or school. The outcome of acute stroke care is tightly connected to how quickly appropriate emergency treatment is initiated, and the quality of the overall management provided. At Upstate, it is not unusual for patients with severe stroke to go home after three days, with minimal or no evidence of lasting stroke effects.
University Hospital's Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Center is a significant member of the hospital's stroke care team and a key reason for University Hospital earning recognition as a New York State Designated Stroke Center.