Who participates in your stroke rehabilitation team?

Stroke rehabilitation involves a variety of specialists.

Specialists who can help with physical needs include:

• Physicians. Your primary care doctor — as well as neurologists and specialists in physical medicine and rehabilitation — can guide your care and help prevent complications. These physicians can also help you to gain and maintain healthy lifestyle behaviors to avoid another stroke.
• Rehabilitation nurses. Nurses who specialize in caring for people with limitations to activities can help you incorporate the skills you learn into your daily routines. Rehabilitation nurses can also offer options for managing bowel and bladder complications of a stroke.
• Physical therapists. These therapists help you relearn movements such as walking and keeping your balance.
• Occupational therapists. These therapists help you relearn hand and arm use for daily skills such as bathing, tying your shoes or buttoning your shirt. Occupational therapists can also address swallowing and cognitive issues, and safety in your home.

Specialists who focus on cognitive, emotional and vocational skills include:

• Speech and language pathologists. These specialists help improve your language skills and ability to swallow. Speech and language pathologists can also work with you to develop tools to address memory, thinking and communication problems.
• Social workers. Social workers help connect you to financial resources, plan for new living arrangements if necessary and identify community resources.
• Psychologists. These specialists assess your thinking skills and help address your mental and emotional health concerns.
• Therapeutic recreation specialists. These specialists help you resume activities and roles you enjoyed before your stroke, including hobbies and community participation.
• Vocational counselors. These specialists help you address return-to-work issues if that is a goal.