Stroke Therapy in a Hospital Setting

The Stroke Rehabilitation Program at TIRR Memorial Hermann is specially designed to maximize outcomes for patients who have suffered a stroke. TIRR Memorial Hermann is the rehabilitation partner for the certified stroke care centers throughout Memorial Hermann.

Stroke Rehabilitation: In The News

According to U.S. News and World Report, the American Heart Association has changed its guidelines to recommend inpatient rehabilitation for people who have had a stroke rather than going to a skilled nursing facility or nursing home. There is evidence that patients have better outcomes if transitioned to an inpatient rehabilitation facility because of the team approach and intensive therapy offered around the clock.

Other recommendations include:

  • Patients with stroke who have trouble walking should undergo intense mobility-task training to help relearn how to perform daily activities, such as climbing stairs.
  • The use of a computer, books, music and virtual reality games could help enhance rehabilitation for stroke patients, making it more engaging and mentally stimulating.
  • Patients with stroke who have trouble speaking should undergo speech therapy.
  • Patients who have vision problems and have trouble focusing should perform eye exercises.
  • Balance training should be offered to stroke survivors at risk for falls.
  • Exercise regimens tailored to individual stroke patients can help them continue to improve their fitness level once their rehabilitation is complete.*

We provide specialized medical management, nursing and therapy services in a hospital setting. Individual therapy, group treatment and community outings address the patient's functional abilities.

Comprehensive interdisciplinary care provides reinforcement of treatment goals throughout the day for patients at all functioning levels. TIRR Memorial Hermann provides support groups, counseling and individualized training to prepare families and caregivers for taking on the additional responsibilities of caring for the patient upon health transition.

Stroke Therapy in a Hospital Setting

Man using rehabilitation machine with computerWe provide specialized medical management, nursing and therapy services in a hospital setting. Individual therapy, group treatment and community outings address the patient's functional abilities.

Comprehensive interdisciplinary care provides reinforcement of treatment goals throughout the day for patients at all functioning levels. TIRR Memorial Hermann provides support groups, counseling and individualized training to prepare families and caregivers for taking on the additional responsibilities of caring for the patient upon health transition.

What Are the Different Types of Stroke Rehabilitation?

Inpatient Stroke Rehabilitation

  • Patient rooms, nursing care units and gym space specifically designed and equipped to meet the unique needs of a person with stroke.
  • Medical management
  • Individual therapy sessions
  • Group therapy sessions
  • Education classes for families and patients
  • Community outings
  • Physical therapy
  • Occupational therapy
  • Speech therapy
  • Neuropsychology and psychology evaluation and therapy

Outpatient Stroke Rehabilitation

Recovery from stroke does not end with a patient's health transition from the inpatient program. Rather, recovery continues long after the return home.

The programs at the Outpatient Medical Clinic and Outpatient Rehabilitation allow patient and family to transition from the hospital setting to home while continuing to receive intense therapy services and medical monitoring. Stroke support groups, counseling, education and individualized training also prepare families and caregivers for the patient's health transition. The Challenge Program provides a comprehensive range of services to help stroke survivors maximize their potential. This outpatient day treatment approach addresses the physical abilities, memory strategies, interpersonal communication and problem solving skills needed for long-term success.

Patient Stories

  • Memorial Hermann Rehabilitation Hospital-Katy patient, Ahmed Vaid, stands proudly with his wife following treatment.

    Ahmed's Story: Returning to Simple Pleasures Following Stroke

    About five weeks after arriving at TIRR Memorial Hermann for stroke rehabilitation, Ahmed did go home. He started outpatient therapy at Memorial Hermann Rehabilitation Hospital-Katy, which was closer to his home. Because the hospital is part of the Memorial Hermann Rehabilitation Network, Ahmed w...

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  • Memorial Hermann Rehabilitation Hospital - Katy patient, Yen Lang, returns to work in his kitchen.

    Yen's Story: Business Owner Returns to Running His Restaurant

    After a sudden aneurysm and stroke, Yen Lang, returns home following inpatient rehabilitation through Memorial Hermann Rehabilitation Hospital - Katy.

    Read More
  • TIRR Memorial Hermann patient, Gary Thompson, stands on the beach with his wife.

    Gary's Story: Traveling Following a Stroke

    The entire time her husband was hospitalized, Carol Thompson kept a Hawaiian shirt hanging in his hospital room, within his eyesight to serve as a reminder of his goal – to recover from his strokes, so they could go on a Hawaiian vacation with their entire family.

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  • TIRR Memorial Hermann patient, Brandon Ray, plays his guitar and sings after recovery.

    Brandon's Story: Playing Music Once Again

    Shortly following a surgery, Brandon had several acute strokes. Although he survived, he lost his ability to walk, speak and, most importantly, to sing. But with the love of his wife and help from the specialists at TIRR Memorial Hermann, Brandon has found his voice again and is sharing it on sta...

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  • TIRR Memorial Hermann patient, Josetta Smith, and her husband enjoy an Aggies game.

    Josetta’s Story: Cheering on Her Team after Stroke

    “Josetta could not sit without falling over when she first came to inpatient rehabilitation, let alone stand, but she worked tirelessly to improve,” said Anne Gwinn, her inpatient physical therapist.

    Read More
  • TIRR Memorial Hermann patient, Hector Alvarez, carefully stacks dice as part of therapy.

    Hector's Story: Benefits from Paired Vagus Nerve Stimulation and Therapy

    After suffering a stroke in August 2017, Hector Alvarez started physical therapy at TIRR Memorial Hermann-The Woodlands Outpatient Rehabilitation.

    Read More
  • Lewis on stage after rehabilitation

    Lewis: Back on Stage Making Music

    After retiring in 2017, Lewis Frey turned his part-time love of playing his guitar, into a full-time job. He had regular gigs around the Houston area, and he and his band were enjoying entertaining their audiences. But, in June 2019 he had a stroke which put a pause in his playing. After his inpa...

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  • Cathy Flowers Thumbnail

    Cathy's Story: Stroke Rehabilitation

    After having a stroke and being rushed into surgery to remove a large portion of her skull to allow for brain swelling, Cathy was accepted into TIRR Memorial Hermann for rehabilitation.

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  • Jacob Smith

    Jacob Smith: Your Attitude Defines Your Future

    Jacob Smith was returning home with other students at his high school, after attending a leadership conference in Corpus Christi for members of Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA). The last thing he remembers was buying snacks when the four-car caravan of students and teachers...

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  • Barry Oakes Family

    Barry Oakes Recovers From Stroke

    In September 2010, 49-year-old Barry Oakes collapsed in his home while walking to the bathroom in the middle of the night. An EMS team rushed him to the hospital, where doctors diagnosed a massive ischemic stroke and administered tPA. The stroke left him with a large basilar artery thrombosis in ...

    Read More
  • Dorothy Malone

    Successful Therapy to Help Patient Regain Use of Arm and Leg Following Stroke

    When Malone was stabilized, she was transferred to the hospital’s 23-bed inpatient neurorehabilitation unit for comprehensive care and an aggressive program of physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech/language pathology. Mischer Neurorehabilitation's multidisciplinary team – ...

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  • Roberta

    Roberta Reclaims Her Independence with Rehabilitation

    While Roberta was enjoying time on her daughter’s porch in Sealy, Texas, her family became concerned that she did not look well. She had been having some headaches, but nothing that seemed out of the ordinary. On September 21, after getting what her family described as a “glazed and f...

    Read More

Patient Resources

We offer support groups at multiple TIRR Memorial Hermann facilities.

Stroke Support Groups

This manual was prepared to help you and your family become familiar with the Stroke Program at TIRR Memorial Hermann. Patient and family education is one of the most important parts of a successful rehabilitation program. Our goal is to help you understand the medical issues and therapy needs following a stroke, and much of this education involves a “hands-on” approach.

Stroke Program Manual 

The information presented in this document is educational and not intended as medical advice or the practice of medicine. Specific aspects of your outcomes and care should be addressed and answered after consultation with your physician.

Rehabilitation Fact Sheets

Download the complete TIRR Memorial Hermann Patient Statistics fact sheet in English or Spanish.

TIRR Memorial Hermann patient, Hector Alvarez, carefully stacks dice as part of physical therapy.

VNS: Groundbreaking Treatment for Stroke Survivors


TIRR Memorial Hermann patient, Hector Alvarez, carefully stacks dice as part of physical therapy.

Physicians affiliated with TIRR Memorial Hermann are on the forefront of investigating the effect of vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) combined with intensive upper-limb rehabilitation therapy.

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Get Started

To make a referral or to schedule an appointment, please call 1 (800) 44-REHAB (73422), (713) 797-5942, fax (713) 797-5988 or fill out our online forms by clicking the buttons below.

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If you need more immediate assistance, please call us at (800) 44-REHAB (73422).

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*Dallas, Mary Elizabeth. "New Guidelines Recommend Inpatient Rehab after Stroke." US News and World Report. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 May 2016.

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Nationally Ranked Rehabilitation


For the 35th consecutive year, TIRR Memorial Hermann is recognized as the best rehabilitation hospital in Texas and No. 2 in the nation according to U.S. News and World Report's "Best Rehabilitation Hospitals" in America.

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