How to Choose Stroke Care that Can Save a Life
“We were preparing to leave the house when my mother suddenly said she needed to sit down. As I stepped toward her, she collapsed into my arms. My 7-year-old son called 911 while I held on to mom. She couldn’t communicate with me. She looked terribly frightened, and she couldn’t move. Before I knew it, we were at the hospital, and I was asked by an ER doctor where I wanted to transfer my mother to receive stroke treatment. I wasn’t sure what to do. Which hospital would offer her the best care?”
Stroke can happen anytime, anywhere, under any condition. When it happens, every moment counts. That’s why having a clear decision about care for yourself or your loved ones can save critical time and avoid any unnecessary delay in treatment. But, how do you know where to go?
By choosing a Health Facilities Accreditation Program (HFAP)-designated Primary Stroke Care Program, you can be assured peace of mind in the moments that follow a stroke.
HFAP is a national, voluntary accreditation program that is authorized by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. They meet rigorous standards for both infrastructure (the programs and services a hospital offers) and protocols (the approach and process) in the diagnosis, treatment and care of acute stroke patients.
Ultimately, they insure the care your loved one receives is individualized and tailored to their needs and risk factors. They can offer stroke-centered care the moment a possible stroke is reported, all the way through transitional care at the hospital. This way, stroke patients don’t need to be moved to another facility for follow-up and rehabilitation.
In addition to dedicated, high-quality stroke services, patients can expect:
- Patient arrival to treatment time in 60 minutes or less
- Patient arrival to CatScan time in 25 minutes or less
- CatScan results read in 20 minutes or less (patient arrival to results time in 45 minutes or less)
- Every suspected stroke patient screened for dysphagia (difficulty swallowing) prior to oral intake
- Patient arrival to lab results in 45 minutes or less
Do you know the signs of a stroke? Successful intervention begins with you, because understanding the symptoms of stoke can be the key to saving valuable time in accessing care. Know how to identify possible stroke by looking for:
- Confusion or trouble understanding people
- Dizziness
- Loss of balance or coordination
- Severe headaches
- Sudden numbness or weakness in face, arm, or leg (especially on one side)
- Trouble speaking
- Trouble seeing (with one or both eyes)
And if you suspect someone is having a stroke, act FAST.
- Face: Ask the person to smile. Does one side of the face droop?
- Arms: Ask the person to raise both arms. Does one arm drift downward?
- Speech: Ask the person to repeat a simple phrase. Is their speech slurred or strange?
- Time: If you observe any of these signs, call 911 immediately.
The healthcare professionals at Covenant’s Primary Stroke Center regularly provide education, resources, training and physician liaisons to smaller hospitals in the region, having established a one-call system for stroke transfers. The Primary Stroke Center at Covenant HealthCare, an HFAP-accredited program, is leading the way in stroke care for the Great Lakes Bay Region. With a designated stroke team and advanced technologies to diagnose and treat stroke, we offer you peace of mind when every moment counts.
Learn more about our Primary Stroke Center.
Posted Date: 6/10/2016