Medicare & Stroke Recovery

Analyzing Medicare and stroke recovery requires understanding that there are two types of strokes, and both of them start in the brain. A hemorrhagic stroke is when a blood vessel within the brain ruptures. An ischemic stroke is where an artery in the brain is blocked. The second type occurs more than five times as often as the first, but both can be life-threatening.

Medicare

• Stroke victims are the highest users of Medicare services once they're discharged from the hospital. The costs to care for a stroke patient can be prohibitive, with the hospital receiving up to $5,000 for each stroke patient. If a stroke patient is released before five days in hospital has elapsed, the hospital is penalized because Medicare's goal is to secure the best possible care for the patient. As such, Medicare will also assist with a limited range of rehabilitation and post-hospital care costs.

Complications

• There are many possible complications that can occur after a stroke, including weakness in the arms and/or legs, paralysis, trouble speaking and incontinence. If the throat is affected, swallowing food and saliva may become difficult because it can go down the trachea instead of the esophagus. This can cause pneumonia or lung infections. Bed sores can occur if a stroke patient is unable to move on his own. Many of the complications following a stroke will disappear with rehabilitation while others may be permanent.

Rehabilitation

• For stroke patients to fully recover, there must be a rehabilitation plan initiated to ensure ongoing care. Such a plan will involve the patient, the patient's family and a rehabilitation team. The plan should cover several aspects of care such as ongoing rehabilitation methods, determining who will give care at home, ensuring any necessary community services are provided such as Meals on Wheels or volunteer drivers, and arranging any special equipment needed for ongoing health management.

Ongoing Care

• Some patients are able to go home after being discharged from hospital and have in-home care to handle their therapy and rehabilitation, especially if they can't travel easily. Others can travel from home to a doctor's office easily and don't need the same level of care. Still others are moved to a nursing home or other treatment center to assist with long-term, sub-acute and acute care, specifically patients with multiple complications that need regular, long-term treatment.

Life Changes

• Because the brain controls so many functions (both mental and physical), many medical personnel will be involved in the treatment of a recovering stroke patient and Medicare ultimately oversees them all. Specialists, therapists, general practitioners, neurologists, etc., may be consulted depending on the patient's needs. This could even include psychiatrists, physiotherapists, speech therapists and social workers, if needed, because the body has been so deeply affected and the stroke patient may potentially have to relearn old skills and find other ways to cope with daily tasks. Medicare will help to see that all needed treatments are covered and provided for the patient's well-being.