The Stroke Rehabilitation Program

Recovery Starts

Dr. Vernon Fanning Centre – Neuro Rehabilitation unit (2 East): An adult stroke subacute rehabilitation unit with a specialized focus in stroke rehabilitation.

Tertiary Neuro Rehabilitation Unit 58:  An adult intensive stroke tertiary neuro rehabilitation unit for patients who have complex needs requiring an interdisciplinary team.

Stroke Early Supported Discharge (ESD): A stroke rehabilitation service to facilitate hospital discharge and transition by providing client driven community based rehabilitation to optimize community re-integration. Patients must live within Calgary city limits and receive rehabilitation within their own home.

Community Accessible Rehabilitation (CAR): An ambulatory, community based rehabilitation program  for stroke patients with identified functional goals that are appropriate for a time limited program.  Rehabilitation is provided at a community clinic located in the NE (Peter Lougheed Centre), Central (Sheldon M. Chumir Health Centre) or SE (South Calgary Health Centre) part of Calgary.

Association for Rehabilitation of the Brain Injured (ARBI): Once a patient has transitioned to their longer term living situation ARBI is a longer term community based rehabilitation service for acquired brain injury/stroke patients.

Halvar Jonson Centre for Brain Injury Inpatient Rehabilitation: (located in Ponoka, Alberta) – A neuro rehabilitation inpatient program for moderate to severe stroke patients that require long term inpatient rehabilitation. Target populations 16-65 year old.  (Click here for brochure).

Stroke Rehabilitation Coordinator Calgary Zone (SRC): Promoting optimal patient outcomes by assisting with reviewing and allocating referrals to appropriate stroke rehabilitation services/resources.  Facilitate timely patient transitions through the continuum of stroke rehab care.

Recovery Continues

Canadian Red Cross Short Term Health Equipment Loan Program: An equipment loan program that can provide health equipment to help individuals return home from hospital. Requires a health professional referral.

Home Care: A health service that can support a patient to help them remain safe and independent in your own home or care setting.

Meals on Wheels: A not-for-profit organization that provides meals service to Calgarians to maintain independence in their own homes

Help Line (Medical alert system): A personal help button that automatically dials an emergency number.

Stroke Recovery Association of Calgary:  A volunteer organization that addresses the specific needs of stroke survivors in dealing with their new lifestyle and help caregivers dealing with stroke survivors.

Calgary Aphasia Centre:  A nonprofit program to support and advocate for Calgarians living with aphasia. Groups led by volunteers offer patients opportunities to develop communication skills and build social connections.

Alberta Healthy Living: A Calgary service that provides information, education, group exercise classes, nutrition services and support to help improve your health and quality of life with a chronic condition such as stroke.  There are many service locations across Alberta.

Rehabilitation and Fitness Program for Persons with Disabilities: This program is located at the University of Calgary and provides individuals with physical disabilities the opportunity to continue their rehabilitative and fitness goals in a community setting.

T.I.M.E. (together in movement and exercise): A community based exercise program geared towards people who have challenges with balance and mobility. Must be able to walk 10 metres with or without a walking aide.

Stroke rehabilitation services at both the Foothills Medical Centre and the Dr. Vernon Fanning Care Centre are provided by physiatry. Our group also provides physiatry support for outpatient stroke rehabilitation in the community through Early Supported Discharge (ESD), Community Accessible Rehabilitation (CAR), Association for Rehabilitation of the Brain Injured (ARBI), and other private rehabilitation providers. We accept referrals from across Southern Alberta for patients who require stroke rehabilitation expertise.

This year, Dr. Dukelow’s research team won Paper of the Year at the Canadian Association of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation annual meeting for their article “Comparing CST Lesion Metrics as Biomarkers for Recovery of Motor and Proprioceptive Impairments after Stroke”.

This article was published in the journal Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair and was the final work of lead author Dr. Sonja Findlater.

Our team was involved in teaching several physiatry and neurology residents, acute stroke fellows, and medical students in our clinics. Further, our members spent time teaching on the ward and in classroom sessions.

The Stroke Rehabilitation Program published 15 papers last year. Dr. McNeil and Dr. Dukelow co-authored a manuscript entitled “Practical Guidance for Outpatient Spasticity Management During the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic: Canadian Spasticity COVID-19 Task force”.  Dr. Dukelow lectured on “Stroke Recovery in Canada” at the International Stroke Rehabilitation and Recovery Alliance meeting in Melbourne, Australia in October of 2019.

A number of funded clinical trials are underway including the CIHR-funded RESTORE trial examining robotic rehabilitation early after stroke, the Brain Canada funded FLOW trial examining Fluoxetine and its effect on lower extremity motor recovery and the Heart and Stroke Foundation funded REMAP trial examining the use of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation and Multi-Modal Aphasia Therapy for post-stroke aphasia.