Stroke Prevention and Follow-Up Care

After a stroke, the path to recovery doesn’t stop when you leave the hospital. Virginia Mason Franciscan Health continues caring for you with comprehensive follow-up and preventive services. We develop a personalized plan to help you feel your best while lowering the chances of a second stroke.

Virginia Mason Franciscan Health has the expertise and services you need for stroke recovery and prevention. Our team includes stroke specialists who take the time to learn about your needs and use the latest evidence-based methods to address them. Find a stroke specialist.

Highlights of our program include: 

• Comprehensive approach: Your personalized plan may include neurorehabilitation to regain strength and abilities. We may also refer you to a cardiologist, sleep medicine specialist or other experts to manage risk factors. Our services draw patients from across the region – even people who received emergency stroke care elsewhere.  

• Compassionate care: If you are struggling with daily activities or have depression and anxiety, we want to know. Our team coordinates access to services that make it easier to focus on healing. 

• Convenient locations: Stroke follow-up care is available throughout the Puget Sound, making it easier to fit appointments into your busy schedule. If you’re unsure where to start, view our list of neurovascular and comprehensive neurology providers to select one that meets your preferences.

We start by asking how you’ve been doing since leaving the hospital. Some patients report feeling close to their pre-stroke status. Others experience a range of issues, including memory loss, muscle weakness, headaches or fatigue. 

Additional steps include:

• Neurological exam and second stroke risk assessment: We conduct a thorough assessment to find out what may have caused the stroke. We discuss your risks and what you can do to lower them.
• Neurorehabilitation planning: Physical, occupational or speech therapy helps you cope with changes in your abilities due to stroke. Learn more about neurorehabilitation. 
• Patient education: It’s natural to have questions after a stroke, and we want you to feel confident about your future health. In addition to providing information and answers during appointments, you can use your patient portal to ask questions or check on concerns between visits.
• Coordination: After follow-up appointments, other neurologists or primary care providers deliver ongoing stroke risk management services.

Follow-up visits also involve developing a personalized stroke prevention plan. Recommendations may include: 

• Medical therapies: Medications manage second stroke risk factors like high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes.  
• Procedures: In some cases, a procedure to repair weak or narrowed arteries is necessary. Find out more about neurovascular disease care. 
• Treatments for other medical issues: Managing conditions that raise your risk of a second stroke is essential. We may refer you to a cardiologist if we detect an irregular heartbeat or a sleep medicine doctor for sleep apnea.
• Lifestyle changes: Changes to your daily habits can also lower your risk. We may recommend exercising, quitting smoking and drinking or modifying your diet.

Virginia Mason Franciscan Health offers online and in-person support groups. Share your experiences and learn from others who are also recovering. Your loved ones are welcome to attend. Support groups are available to you at no charge. To register, view our classes and events.

Our specialists care for patients across the Puget Sound area and beyond. Find a stroke specialist near you.