Stroke Care Team Members

The Health Care Team

Members of the health care team will teach you, your family and support persons about:

  • what has happened
  • your risk factors for stroke and what you can do to manage them
  • what treatment and care is needed
  • what medications you are taking and how they help in your recovery
  • what to expect when you leave the hospital or move to the next step in your stroke recovery

Below is a listing of health care team members you may meet and how they can help you.

Health Care Team member How they help
A Neurologist/Internist Organizes your medical care
Nurse Practitioner A member of the medical team who brings together medical and nursing knowledge & teaches you, your family and support persons about healthy living, preventing disease and managing after your stroke
Neuropsychologist Assesses and treats changes in thinking and emotions common after stroke
Physiatrist Medical doctor that guides rehabilitation
Registered Nurse and Registered Practical Nurse Helps you with your daily care & answers your questions and concerns
Dietitian/Dietetic Assistant Helps you meet your nutritional needs & ensures you receive the foods that are best for you
Occupational Therapist/Occupational Therapy Assistant Helps you to be more independent with your daily activities & teaches you to use special equipment which allows you to do more for yourself
Physiotherapist/Physiotherapist Assistant Helps you to gradually increase your physical activity & helps you to improve and/or maintain your strength, flexibility and balance
Pharmacist Assesses your medications and dosages & answers your questions about medications
Social Worker Helps you and your family learn ways of coping with the changes in your lives & helps you and your family determine the type of supports needed in the next step of your stroke recovery
Speech Language Pathologist/Communications Disorder Assistant Helps you with your spoken and written communication & assesses and makes recommendations for managing swallowing problems
Respiratory Therapist Provides breathing assessments, oxygen therapy and treatment to help reduce respiratory infections
Chaplain Provides spiritual guidance and support
Therapeutic Recreation Therapist Helps you with your leisure needs and goals
Stroke Navigator Works with the health care team to determine what type of recovery care is best for each patient & provides education and support when you move between the areas of stroke care

You and your family are the most important members of the health care team. You and your family play an active role in managing your health. We encourage you and your family to take part in your care. You can ask questions to any member of the health care team at any time.

Acknowledgement

The Central South Regional Stroke Network would like to acknowledge the Central South Regional Stroke Network Patient and Family Advisory Council, The Central South Regional Stroke Passport Working Group, Hamilton Health Sciences, our hospital and community stroke service provider partners, and the Heart and Stroke Foundation for their contributions to the development of this website.

Disclaimer

THIS WEBSITE DOES NOT PROVIDE MEDICAL ADVICE.

The information, including but not limited to, text, graphics, images, and other material contained on this website are for informational purposes only. No material on this site is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always see the advice of your physician or health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment.

The information contained in this website is by no means a complete listing of the programs or services available. The Central South Regional Stroke Network does not endorse or support the information contained within the links to external sites, nor can we assume responsibility for the accuracy of the information. The mention of products and services should not be assumed to be an endorsement of any kind.