MUST READS TO ACHIEVE HOME STROKE REHABILITATION SUCCESS (Numbers 4-6).

The Takeaway:

A physical rehabilitation program can be supervised and undertaken in your own home, but certain principles underlie this assertion. These are the second three books of 12 that gave me a very strong powerful message. Caregivers need confidence and often so do health professionals. Read these and apply the principles towards the design and implementation of your home physical rehabilitation programs. I will be interested to hear your own suggestions.

In 'Any Given Sunday', Tony D'Amato (Al Pacino) character explains how life, like football, is a game of inches. How everything comes down to small choices, small opportunities, and small victories or losses. and that concept of working hard for those inches every day when seeking the best physical recovery after stroke is the theme of this week's newsletter.

As a caregiver or a health professional you will learn a lot of new therapies and why particular therapies are right for your stroke survivor, however it is your power to 'Motivate' them to keep going (to keep pushing for those extra inches of improvement) that is your most important asset. Of course confidence is also required to begin to supervise a physical rehabilitation program in the home.

When you begin to work with a stroke survivor at home, every decision that has to be made can seem overwhelming because there are no instruction manuals to give you guidance. These newsletters (and the suggested physical rehabilitation programmes I will link in the coming weeks) will provide the guidance you need to run a competent physical rehabilitation program. They will also discuss how to prove that progress/improvement is occurring. Knowing that you can use this material should reduce some of the stress that can occur. Observing your stroke survivor making improvements in their health might even bring some joy.

It is vital in my opinion that caregivers, stroke survivors and health professionals believe or understand the following;

• The principle of 'Repetitive Practice' and the 10,000 hour rule!! Apparently performing 10,000 hours of meaningful practice will make us all an expert in that area. This rule needs to be applied to home stroke physical rehabilitation to ensure the best recovery possible after stroke. Outliers: The Story of Success.

• The importance of recognition of our work by 'someone' will make us work longer. Dan tells us about some famous 'Lego' experiments where simply acknowledging people's work kept them working longer and longer. This same concept applies to home stroke physical rehab. You have to acknowledge and record all therapy that your stroke survivor completes in order to assist their motivation. Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions.

• In life we make some very simple common 'thinking errors' and these errors will cost us important energy, time and confidence. They essentially reduce our productivity and overall contentment and Rolf Dobelli writes brilliantly about these in a very common sense way. Of course many of the same 'Thinking errors' will potentially limit your stroke survivors chances of making their best physical recovery at home unless they can be eliminated. This book is a great starting point. The Art of Thinking Clearly.

Attempting on your own to decide on a suitable program for your stroke survivor is a minefield and will usually lead to frustration and poorer recovery outcomes.?Even when you know that a physical program of suitable exercises is required for recovery, there is no consensus as to which therapies should be chosen, what sequence they should follow, and how many of the therapies should be repeated every day. Remember, there is no 'Golden' therapy that will assure a complete recovery. However, there are numerous 'safe' therapies that do no harm and are can give your stroke survivor a better chance of making their best recovery.

For you as a caregiver, a stroke survivor or a health Professional these newsletters and my 'Lights, Mirrors, Action' Model of physical rehabilitation intend to help you to:

1. Prime the brain for successful recovery.
2. Excite the brain to maximize neuroplasticity.
3. Follow a Morning and Evening daily rehabilitation program.
4. Measure weekly progress.
5. Gain confidence that repetitive exercises will enhance physical recovery.
6. Aim for three hours of daily physical rehabilitation.
7. Include adequate rests to ensure recovery.

Over the coming months I will be addressing many of the early-stage requirements for planning and undertaking a successful daily physical rehabilitation program in your home, so that you maximize the opportunity for your stroke survivor’s recovery. As a caregiver, you need confidence that you are the best person to supervise your stroke survivor, and you need a defined recipe for how that program should be carried out in your home. That’s what’s in store for you in the weeks ahead.

This isn’t about telling you all the different types of rehabilitation therapies (although many simple cost effective ones will be discussed) that are available after stroke. It’s also not about discussing every aspect or detail of what stroke is. What you are about to uncover are high-level daily physical rehabilitation programs that are best undertaken in the home.

You and your stroke survivor will also receive expert guidance on how to build confidence and an expectation of a positive result, as well as how to measure progress as it occurs. This will maximize weekly motivation to keep going. The 'Lights, Mirrors, Action' Model is innovative, and because there is a huge need for defined guidance when your stroke survivor arrives home, this program allows you to have confidence that what is being done is what should be done each day.

Undertaking a defined prescriptive physical rehabilitation after stroke can be full of little triumphs and even fun, but only if your stroke survivor’s brain has been woken up and energized in a logical fashion to allow neuroplasticity to occur. By the end of these newsletters, you will have all that guidance, confidence, and much, much more that will be a huge assistance to you for the busy months ahead.

Treat yourself to these books, it will be worth it. More coming soon!!

THANK YOU!

Can I offer a huge thank you to Scott Ferguson and his brilliant team on the 'Time To Shine Today' Podcast who had a fantastic talk with me about my work and passions. Please listen

Ken

As always more is discussed in my book