Conditions / Stroke recovery
Home health after a stroke
Coming home after a stroke is a big change for the whole family. Therapy is usually less frequent than in inpatient rehab, and family members suddenly become caregivers. Home health brings therapy and nursing into the place where recovery has to work every day: your home.
How home health helps
- Physical therapy for walking, balance, strength, and safe transfers from bed, chair, toilet, and car.
- Occupational therapy for dressing, bathing, eating, and other daily activities, with equipment and home changes that make them easier.
- Speech therapy for speaking, understanding, memory, and swallowing safely.
- Nursing for blood pressure, medicines, and preventing another stroke.
- Training for family caregivers, so you know how to help with transfers, exercises, and communication without hurting yourself.
Learn more about our therapy services.
What to expect
- Your doctor orders home health, usually at discharge from the hospital or rehab facility. Ask the discharge planner to send the referral before you leave, so there is less of a gap in therapy.
- You will usually get much less therapy at home than in an inpatient rehab facility. That change can feel like a step backward, but practice between visits keeps recovery going.
- Your therapists give you exercises and practice to do between visits, because progress happens every day, not only during visits.
- Recovery is different for everyone. Your therapists will tell you what they see and update the plan as you progress.
- The first visit is longer than later ones. The nurse or therapist reviews your health and medicines and checks your home for fall and safety risks. It is a safety check, not an inspection of your housekeeping.
- Home health is visits, not all-day care. Between visits, you and your family carry out the plan, and your care team teaches you how.
What you and your family do between visits
- Practice the exercises and communication strategies your therapists teach.
- Ask us to show you safe ways to help with transfers before you try them alone.
- Tell us if your loved one is discouraged, refusing therapy, or seems depressed. This is common after a stroke, and the team can help.
- Take care of yourself too. Feeling worn out or grieving the changes is normal. Ask us about community resources and caregiver support.
When to call
Call your care team if…
- A fall, even without an obvious injury
- Coughing or choking when eating or drinking
- Blood pressure readings outside the range your doctor gave you
- New confusion, low mood, or refusing to eat or take medicine
Use the number your care team gave you, or call us at 214-440-1394 (Texas) or 303-597-0505 (Colorado).
Call 911 if…
- New stroke signs (BE FAST): loss of Balance, Eye or vision changes, Face drooping, Arm or leg weakness, Speech trouble. Time to call 911.
- Chest pain or severe shortness of breath
- A fall with a head injury or inability to get up
Do not wait to call your care team first.
General information, not medical advice. Follow your care team's instructions.
Questions families ask
How often will therapists visit after a stroke?
Your doctor's orders and your needs set the schedule. Home therapy is usually a few visits a week per therapy type, which is less than inpatient rehab, so practice between visits matters a lot.
What if my loved one refuses therapy after a stroke?
This is common. Depression, fatigue, and frustration often follow a stroke. Tell the therapist and nurse what you are seeing. They can change how sessions are set up and talk with the doctor about mood or medicines. They can also help you encourage practice without turning every day into a fight.
Can speech therapy at home help with talking and swallowing after a stroke?
Yes. Speech-language pathologists can work on speaking, understanding, memory, and swallowing at home, when your doctor orders it.
Questions about Medicare, homebound status, and costs are on our FAQ page.
Getting started
Home health starts with an order from your doctor. Ask your doctor or hospital discharge planner for Adaptive Home Health, or call us and we will work with your doctor. We serve Texas (Houston, Dallas–Fort Worth, Austin, San Antonio, and Central Texas) and Colorado (Denver). See the areas and ZIP codes we serve.
Doctors and discharge planners: refer a patient.
Helpful guides
- What to expect from home health care
- Leaving the hospital: a home health checklist
- Caring for a loved one after a stroke: the first weeks at home