Although many stroke patients are convinced of the importance of physiotherapy and even willing to undergo it, most of them need a kind of psychological and moral support before the start of the treatment program, and even during the sessions as well. The psychological state of the patient may help him to understand the treatment program and determine and follow up on setting a goal and measuring the development of his ability in daily movement every twelve sessions with home physiotherapists.

Since physiotherapy is one of the long-term types of treatments that show results slowly to some extent, patients may start to lose track of improvement and feel that the treatment is useless, or feel helpless and that they have become a burden to those around them or those who care for them. Therefore, the success of the physiotherapy program and the sessions it includes depends not only on the patient’s or specialist’s commitment to the treatment sessions and the application of exercises correctly, but it is necessary to pay conscious and intense attention to the extent to which the patient is affected psychologically and morally by his condition, his acceptance of it and his confidence in the outcome of treatment, and the use of a psychiatrist if necessary.

What are the ways to provide psychological and moral support to the patient?

There are many ways to provide support and differ according to the support provider. In general, the task of providing psychological and moral support to the patient is related to the main parties that have a great influence on the patient, which are:

• Family.
• The treating physician.
• Physiotherapist.
• Psychiatrist.

First: The role of the family

The family, being the closest to the patient, must work to provide the patient with appropriate psychological conditions and relieve the pressure on him due to illness and limited or no movement, through:

• Full awareness of the patient’s condition and the extent of his pain and the impact of this on his psychological state and general mood.
• Provide a quiet and comfortable environment for the patient.
• Follow up the patient’s psychological developments and inform the specialist in case he feels unwell.
• Helping the patient to carry out his basic daily tasks, while leaving enough space for him to act when he can, so as not to make him feel completely helpless.
• Praising his abilities and development in treatment and the progress he achieves from one session to the next.
• Integrate him socially and comfort him in order to prevent him from depression or despair, especially since physical therapy is a long-term treatment.

Second: The role of the treating physician

Although the patient spends less time with his treating physician compared to the family or a physiotherapist, this physician can support the patient morally and psychologically in terms of:

• Making positive notes on the development of the situation when re-evaluation after each certain number of sessions.
• Always confirm that the patient has passed the most difficult stage of treatment.
• Referring to the unexpectedly quick response to treatment.

Third: The role of the physiotherapist:

The physiotherapist plays one of the most important roles in providing psychological and moral support to the patient, as he is the owner of direct and continuous contact with the patient during the treatment period, and is most familiar with the development of the condition and its pros and cons, and for this the physiotherapist must work on:

• Accurate diagnosis of the case after obtaining all the necessary information, whether physical or psychological.
• Transparency in dealing with the patient, and showing optimism about the expected results.
• Establishing a relationship of mutual trust between both the specialist and the patient to reduce the tension of the patient, especially in the case of the expected length of the sessions.
• Sharing the patient’s thoughts, especially those that are emotional and disturbed, that may affect him negatively.
• Eliminate any negative feelings or feelings of helplessness or inadequacy as a result of illness.
• Transforming the negatives of the situation into positive ones in terms of bearing strength, rapid progress, and the ability to face the disease with courage.

The importance of seeking the help of a psychiatrist for patients with physiotherapy:

The use of a psychiatrist for patients who need physiotherapy for strokes is very necessary for many reasons, including:

• Assisting in the correct diagnosis of the problem and identifying other causes that may be closely related to the psychological aspect.
• Helping to determine the best method of treatment based on the psychological and mental state of the patient.
• Dealing with psychological, family and social problems that may negatively affect the patient’s progress in treatment.
• In the case that appropriate treatment is not available, or the patient does not respond to treatment, the psychiatrist can suggest another, more effective treatment.
• Dealing with the psychological side effects of treatment.

Is it possible to get physiotherapy sessions at home?

Although there is the possibility of doing physiotherapy sessions in hospitals and specialized centers, there are many cases that cannot leave the house for reasons of illness or the lack of capabilities and special equipment to move to a doctor or hospital, especially in cases of the elderly, so DoktorCare works to provide a home physiotherapist to help patients regain their movement abilities using various scientific methods, exercise therapy, and modern mobile devices to ensure a speedy recovery, taking into account the patient’s health condition or the person receiving treatment. The presence of the patient in his home in a comfortable family atmosphere helps to reduce feelings of tension while ensuring patient’s privacy at home.