how much rest needed

[rayfromlombard]

my mom had a stroke 4 days ago. she remains at her local hospital. because of the holiday weekend testing is behind, she has not had swallowing tests so no water or food. we want to move her to a stroke rehab center but until she is stable and or ready we can not. stroke was on left side of brain. she can not speak yet or move her right arm. she is just now beginning to move her right leg. therapist has been available at hospital only 20 minutes per day. mom seems to be very tired and wondering should she be getting plenty of rest or do we as her sons and daughters need to push her harder during this early post stroke stage at least until we can place her in stroke center. any help appreciated here. fear we may be losing ground that can never be made back up.

[Rowena Santos, MD]

How are you? How is your mom? The prognosis following a stroke is related to the severity of the stroke and how much of the brain has been damaged. Some patients return to a near-normal condition with minimal awkwardness or speech defects. Many stroke patients are left with permanent problems such as weakness on one side of the body (hemiplagia), difficulty or the inability to speak (aphasia) , or incontinence of the bowel or bladder. Rehabilitative therapy begins in the acute-care hospital after the patient's medical condition has been stabilized, often within 24 to 48 hours after the stroke. Stroke patients often have some problem with depression as part of the recovery process. This needs to be recognized and treated. (http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/stroke/poststrokerehab.htm)
Take care and keep us posted.