Stroke Rehabilitation

Can Inpatient Rehabilitation Aid Stroke Recovery?

Our services help people relearn skills or cope with disabilities due to the effects of stroke. We care for adults with issues that include: 

• Bladder and bowel control
• Communicating, including finding the right words or speaking clearly
• Eating and swallowing
• Emotions, which may include depression, anxiety or irritability
• Movement, including paralysis or difficulty using your limbs
• Thinking and memory
• Walking, balance and posture

Inpatient Stroke Rehabilitation at Sunnyview: Why Choose Us?

Sunnyview is the Capital Region’s premier acute rehabilitation facility. Our commitment to exceptional care has earned us recognition as a stroke specialty program by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF®).

Highlights of our program include:

• Experienced team: Stroke survivors receive around-the-clock medical treatments. Our team includes physical medicine doctors (physiatrists) and nurses specializing in stroke rehabilitation. Therapists help patients relearn how to walk, communicate and eat. Meet our physical rehabilitation team.
• Family-centered approach: Families are welcome to participate in discussions about their loved ones’ stroke recovery, even if they can’t attend in person. As rehabilitation progresses, we help you prepare for their safe return home. The team teaches patients and families how to complete important at-home care tasks. Explore discharge planning.
• Excellent outcomes: We consistently help patients return home as soon as it is medically safe to do so. And nearly all families who choose Sunnyview would recommend us to others. 

Inpatient Stroke Outcomes - 2023

We’re proud to share our Inpatient Stroke Program outcomes and patient satisfaction for 2022, which compares favorably with inpatient rehabilitation programs throughout the region and the nation.

Our Team Approach to Inpatient Stroke Rehabilitation

Stroke recovery specialists work together to coordinate every step of your loved one’s care. We communicate regularly about their progress toward recovery goals. This coordination helps us tailor therapies as their needs change.

The team includes:

• Physiatrists are at your loved one’s bedside nearly every day. They also lead meetings with the team and families to discuss recovery goals, progress and next steps.
• Neuropsychologists assess stroke survivors’ cognitive abilities, including their attention, memory, concentration and language skills. This information ensures that your loved one receives appropriate therapies through each stage of recovery.
• Nurses pay careful attention to patients’ medical needs. Many of our nurses are certified in rehabilitation nursing, and all of them receive ongoing stroke care training.
• Behavioral health specialists address challenges such as depression and anxiety with compassion and evidence-based methods. 
• Physical, speech and occupational therapists use various techniques to help your loved one regain skills that maximize independence.

Assistive Technologies and Devices for Stroke Recovery

Stroke survivors have access to assistive technologies to help them regain function. Some of these devices are not widely available, including:

• Wearable devices: We use the ReWalk™ and Ekso™ Exoskeleton to help your loved one get back on their feet. When these devices sense movement, tiny motors engage to help patients move their legs.
• Special harness and treadmill: The Litegait® system is a sturdy harness over a treadmill. It supports a person’s weight and ensures good posture. Therapists guide your loved one’s legs as they walk at a safe, comfortable pace.
• Robot-assisted therapy: The BURT robotic device helps your loved one regain use of their arms. The device combines gaming and robotic technologies to encourage movements that become stronger and more controlled with practice.

Additional Stroke Rehabilitation Therapies at Sunnyview

Your loved one’s care may also include:

• Cognitive therapy improves memory, attention, learning and judgment.
• Occupational therapy reteaches you how to perform daily tasks like getting dressed and eating.
• Physical therapy helps you get stronger and gain stability while sitting and standing. Read more information about physical therapy.
• Speech therapy (pathology) addresses difficulties with speaking, swallowing and communicating. Find out more about speech pathology.
• Family support helps you cope with changes in your loved one’s abilities and plan for their safe return home.

Outpatient Rehabilitation Services for Stroke Survivors

After your loved one completes inpatient care, we continue supporting them with services that include:

• Driver rehabilitation: Our services include assessments, lessons and special equipment that help people with disabilities start driving again. Get more information about driver rehabilitation.
• Wellness center: The Sunnyview Lifestyle Wellness Center gives you access to exercise equipment, a therapy pool and special programs in a relaxed atmosphere. We also have certified exercise physiologists on site. They specialize in fitness plans for people with severe medical issues. 
• Support groups: Weekly four-hour sessions include education, exercise, lunch and group activities. Services are available for a small fee. Scholarships are also available. To learn more, call our Therapeutic Recreation Department at 518-382-4576.