Post Stroke Case Study

1. Over the years physical therapist education has transitioned to the Doctorate of Physical Therapy and the APTA has established Vision 2020 which incorporates autonomous physical therapy practice, direct access and practitioner of choice. A physical therapist’s responsibilities in the health care system have developed far beyond just aiding in mobility and injury and we have gained a more prominent role in patient care. We are life-long learners that in turn must educate and counsel our patients in injury and disease prevention and awareness. We have learned that although it is the number one cause of adult disability, that a stroke is rarely, if ever an “accident” as we have strayed away from the term "Cerebral Vascular Accident". We now have the knowledge of controllable risk factors such as high blood pressure, smoking, Diabetes, CAD, high cholesterol, poor diet, obesity and
In doing so, we can learn a lot about our patients in hopes to personalize a management strategy compared to a generic patient education plan. This can involve follow up phone calls or visits. In the study by Ostwald et al. in 2009 , visits was one of the approaches to long-term management post-stroke and this included communication about different types of strokes using pictures, reviewing stroke symptoms and when to call 911 (these were posted on a magnet to put on the fridge) and the main focus was what they called the 3 R’s; Reduce risk, recognize stroke signs, and respond by calling 911. It is especially important to involve and educate family or friends as a support system to hold the patient accountable. Physical therapist must educate the individual and family on increasing independence in a safe manner depending on the severity of the stroke. This is vital education to prevent physical inactivity in the future which could further put the person at