First Assessment
Free
45 minutes, at home
- Full clinical examination at the patient's home
- The likely cause explained in plain language
- A realistic recovery plan and what it will cost
- No obligation to book any further sessions
Recovery after a stroke happens in small, practised steps, and most of them happen at home. For families living off Shankar Sheth Road, one step tends to loom larger than the rest: the journey out. A follow-up with the neurologist or physician means getting down the stairs, along the lane and into an autorickshaw or car beside a busy, divided road, then doing it all again in reverse. Planning for that trip early keeps follow-up appointments from becoming something the whole household dreads.
Our stroke rehabilitation page explains how recovery generally progresses and what therapy involves. This page looks at stroke recovery in homes along this road, and at how a physiotherapist works with the household.
The first weeks: bed, chair and bathroom
Early sessions concentrate on what the day requires: rolling and sitting up in bed, moving from bed to chair, standing with support, and reaching the toilet safely. The physiotherapist assesses strength and tone in the affected arm and leg, sensation, sitting and standing balance, and how the person copes with the rooms as they are. Small changes often help a great deal, such as moving the bed so the person gets out on their stronger side, clearing a path to the bathroom, or fitting a grab rail.
Exercise is repeated and built around real tasks, because practice is what drives recovery after a stroke. The affected arm is brought into everyday use, even in small ways, rather than left idle. Where walking is the aim, it is practised indoors first, with the right aid and a family member standing on the correct side.
Practising the trip to a follow-up appointment
Once indoor walking is steady, the physiotherapist works towards the outing. That can mean rehearsing the staircase, practising stepping off a kerb, and getting in and out of an autorickshaw seat, which is lower and narrower than a chair. Families are shown where to stand, how to hold a gait belt if one is used, and how to manage a wheelchair at the kerb. A quieter time of day, and a pick-up point in a side lane away from the main road traffic, make the first journeys calmer. Tiredness is common after a stroke, so the plan also allows for how much energy the appointment itself will take.
Helping the family help
Most stroke recovery is done between visits, and the people doing it are relatives. They learn how to assist without taking over, which exercises to supervise, and how to tell when the person is too tired to practise safely. If the stroke has affected speech, swallowing or thinking, the physiotherapist will suggest the right specialist. For lasting weakness or other neurological conditions, see our page on neuro physiotherapy; where frailty and falls are a worry, elderly physiotherapy on Shankar Sheth Road may apply too.
When to call an ambulance
A further stroke is possible, particularly early on. Call an ambulance at once for new drooping of the face, arm or leg weakness, slurred or muddled speech, sudden loss of vision, or a severe headache unlike any before, and note the time the symptoms began. Do not wait for the next physiotherapy session.
To begin rehabilitation at home, request a visit on the booking page. The Shankar Sheth Road home physiotherapy page explains how visits along the road are arranged.