Patients who have had a stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA) and are admitted to hospital are cared for on specialized stroke units. Bluewater Health, Sarnia has two specialized stroke units:
- 5-bed Acute Stroke Unit on Medical Telemetry Unit
- 10-bed Stroke Rehabilitation Unit on Inpatient Rehabilitation.
Each unit is managed by a team of health care professionals comprised of physicians, nurses, speech language pathologists, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, therapy assistants, personal support workers, dieticians, social workers, pharmacists and unit clerks. Team members are educated and trained in evidence-based stroke best practices. The team works with patients and their loved ones to help with one’s recovery and to adapt to any changes caused by stroke. Sometimes patients may require a short stay in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) for special monitoring and care. This can happen for example if a patient receives the clot-busting drug tPA.
Patients and caregivers are an important part of the care team. They help to ensure each person’s individual circumstances and needs are considered when developing the overall treatment, rehabilitation, prevention and recovery plan. Please see the Moving Forward with Stroke – Resources & Tools section to access a variety of resources and tools have been developed by health care experts, patients and caregivers to help guide recovery. A few key resources are also shared here:
- Heart & Stroke - Your Stroke Journey A guide for people living with stroke
- Heart & Stroke - Post-Stroke Checklist
