Post-stroke support is available in your home
When Doriean Matthews was young, her mother, who was a nurse, had a big influence on her life.
Later, when Matthews suffered an injury and had to go through physical therapy, the experience had an impact on her professional path, leading her to become a physical therapist.
In time, she recognized a need that wasn’t being met among those she treated.
“I felt there was a need for adults to have access to therapy in the home, and that there was a gap that needed to be filled,” Matthews said.
She decided to fill the gap by starting her business, Optimal Home Rehab, which services the Greater Philadelphia area, including the Main Line and Delaware County.
Optimal helps aging adults who require skilled therapy but prefer to see a therapist in the comfort of their home.
Optimal treats a full range of conditions, including those who have suffered from a stroke, using physical, occupational and speech therapy.
“We see a lot of people who have chronic strokes — those who are still having symptoms six months after their stroke,” Matthews said.
The first step Optimal takes with each patient is to do a home and physical assessment to determine a customized approach since stroke symptoms vary from person to person.
“We assess their home environment to see if there are any safety concerns,” she said. “We also do a physical assessment, and from there we come up with a plan of care for them to meet their goals.”
Rehabilitation services might include a patient working with a skilled speech therapist.
“They would work with a patient on difficulty in voice production and sound; difficulty swallowing; or cognitive deficits, such as memory or word processing; and attention deficit,” she said.
A physical therapist from Optimal will work with a patient who has difficulty walking or going up and down stairs, or in cases where someone has one-sided weakness.
“We can work to improve their walking ability and help improve their balance,” Matthews said. “We can also help them improve their
strength.”
Optimal’s occupational therapists focus on activities of daily living, such as dressing, bathing, cooking and cleaning, to help stroke patients regain their ability to accomplish these everyday activities.
Optimal’s aim is to help patients regain functional skills so they can go back to living their life independently. Repetition is a key factor in regaining skills through a process known as neuroplasticity, which is the brain’s ability to change and adapt due to experience.
“Having someone practice, over and over again, makes changes in the brain in order for the brain to heal and reestablish those connections so that they can recover from any stroke-related injuries,” Matthews said.
Most patients receive care from Optimal twice a week for one-hour sessions. Success in regaining prestroke abilities can vary.
“Every individual is different,” Matthews said. “It depends on how much of the brain was impacted
by a stroke.”
Some clients come to Optimal directly, and others are referred by doctors and hospital systems. In most cases, insurance covers the cost of their services.
“Most of our patients are in the over-65 Medicare population, and insurance will oftentimes cover 100% of the services,” she said.