Norman's Story
A loss of independence
Before his stroke, Norman Cyrus, 77, lived independently. A retired professional from the communications field, he spent much of his time listening to the radio, following the stock market and playing the piano. After many years in Mid-City New Orleans, he later moved to nearby Kenner, Louisiana.
Norman’s independence changed suddenly when he experienced a stroke caused by a brain hemorrhage. He remembers little about the event.
“I really don’t remember what happened right before it or going to the emergency room,” he said. “I was out of it.”
Norman was taken to Ochsner Medical Center – New Orleans for emergency care. While physicians worked to stabilize his condition, the effects of the stroke quickly became apparent, leaving him unable to safely care for himself.
Finding the way back
Everyday tasks that once came easily, including eating, dressing and using the bathroom, now required assistance.
“It affected everything,” Norman said. “Eating was hard. Moving my arms, finding food on the left. Being able to use the toilet was hard, as well as brushing my teeth.”
In addition to these physical challenges, Norman had difficulty noticing objects on his left side. This made navigating his environment confusing and raised safety concerns. Finding personal items, navigating space and completing daily routines required frequent reminders and help from others.
After six days in the acute care hospital, Norman transferred to Ochsner Rehabilitation Hospital to begin inpatient rehabilitation. Upon admission, he felt uncertain and discouraged as he processed the sudden changes caused by his stroke.
“I felt nervous and sad because I had the stroke in the first place,” he said.
Despite those emotions, Norman arrived with a clear goal. He wanted to regain enough strength and ability to take care of himself again.
Relearning how to move safely
At the start of his inpatient rehabilitation stay, Norman began working with a multidisciplinary team experienced in stroke recovery. The team at Ochsner Rehabilitation Hospital developed a personalized plan focused on four key areas essential to recovery after stroke: helping him move safely, manage daily activities, communicate effectively and improve attention and thinking skills.
At admission, Norman required extensive assistance for walking, transferring from one position to another and completing daily activities. His balance and posture were affected, and difficulty noticing the left side of his body made movement especially challenging.
Physical therapy helped Norman relearn how to move more safely. Therapists used a wall to help him lean into his right side and overcome his tendency to push toward the left. Cones were used to improve attention and coordination during movement tasks, and mirrors helped him improve attention and postural awareness by allowing him to see and correct his positioning. These exercises helped Norman better recognize his surroundings and move with greater control.
As therapy continued, Norman began to regain strength and confidence. Tasks that once required full assistance became more manageable, and he progressed to walking short distances with close supervision.
“They helped me get around better by myself,” Norman said.
By discharge, Norman progressed from needing total assistance for walking, transfers and daily activities to completing self-care with minimal assistance and walking about 100 feet with close supervision.
Rebuilding daily self-care skills
Occupational therapy helped Norman practice daily self-care tasks more independently. Therapists used an arm bike to support left-hand grasp and sustained attention. A shower buddy, a supportive shower chair, was used to help Norman safely shower. Therapy sessions also incorporated an interactive touchscreen system to support cognitive and visual retraining as he worked on recognizing items and activities on his left side.
One milestone stood out more than any other.
“The biggest one was being able to go to the toilet and not have accidents,” Norman said.
Regaining this ability restored a sense of dignity and independence that had been lost after his stroke.
“It made me feel normal,” he said.
Improving attention, awareness and thinking skills
Speech therapy supported Norman as he worked to improve attention, memory and awareness, particularly his difficulty locating food and personal items. Therapists introduced external memory aids such as calendars, a marker board and bright orange signs to support long-term recall and orientation. Therapy also included finger-tracking exercises to support vision retraining and improve awareness on his left side.
As Norman’s attention and awareness improved, he became more confident participating in therapy and managing daily routines.
Support throughout recovery
Throughout his inpatient rehabilitation stay, Norman received encouragement from both his care team and family. His nephew, along with his nephew’s wife and daughter, visited often and provided much needed motivation.
When asked about the hospital staff, Norman expressed appreciation across all departments.
“They all helped me,” he said.
That consistent support played an important role in helping him stay focused on his goals.
Preparing for the next step
After completing inpatient rehabilitation at Ochsner Rehabilitation Hospital, Norman transitioned to a skilled nursing facility to continue therapy and build on the progress he made. The move marked the next phase of his recovery, with a continued focus on restoring his independence and maintaining the skills he regained.
When asked how he planned to continue his recovery, Norman’s answer reflected his determination.
“Continue with therapy,” he said.