The Acute Inpatient Stroke Unit is a 28-bed unit dedicated to caring for patients who’ve had a stroke. Located at Grand River Hospital’s Kitchener-Waterloo Campus (KW Campus), it is staffed around the clock by a team of health professionals with specialized stroke training to help you or your loved one recover from a stroke. During their stay, patients undergo a number of tests to determine:

  • the type and severity of stroke
  • the brain location impacted by the stroke
  • ongoing stroke risk factors

The healthcare team will assess the effects of the stroke and work with patients and caregivers to determine treatment goals. Some patients may also need further rehabilitation at another facility prior to going home or additional outpatient rehabilitation after returning home. The team works closely with patients and caregivers to determine the best treatment plan.

Directions

The Acute Inpatient Stroke Unit is located on the fifth floor of D North at Grand River’s KW Campus. To visit the unit, enter through the Hospital’s main entrance. Follow the entranceway straight to the end and turn right. Walk down the hall past the gift shop to the D Wing elevators and take them to the fifth floor.

Parking

For information about parking options and rates at the KW Campus, please visit the following page: Parking at the KW Campus. Monthly and semi-monthly parking rates are available.

Contact us

Grand River Hospital
KW Campus
835 King Street West
Kitchener, ON N2G 1G3

Tel: 519-742-3611 Ext: 2870 (5D-North)

Staying at the Hospital

What to bring

To help your care team make your experience on the Acute Inpatient Stroke Unit more comfortable, we encourage you to have a family member or care partner bring you the following types of items from home:

  • comfortable, loose-fitting clothes (to be used during therapy sessions)
  • shoes with non-slip soles
  • hearing aids and glasses for those who need them
  • personal items such as toiletries, dentures, incontinent products, or a Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) machine (if one is used at home)
  • comfort items like books or a personal tablet or phone to use the Hospital’s free Wi-Fi network

Please label all personal items and leave valuables at home. The Hospital is not responsible for any lost or stolen items.

If you have private or semi-private room coverage or you would like a private room, please let your healthcare team know. Learn more about room options and billing under OHIP at Grand River Hospital.

Meet the stroke healthcare team

Having a stroke is overwhelming for the patient and caregivers alike. There is a large team dedicated to helping you reach your recovery goals and could include:

  • Hospitalists are medical doctors who assess and prescribe the care and treatments needed for diagnosis and recovery.
  • Neurologists are medical doctors who are experts on conditions involving the brain
  • Nurses work closely with patients and their families during all stages of recovery, coordinating patient care and providing physical care, education, support, and assessments.
  • Occupational therapists help patients adapt so they can participate in activities like dressing, bathing, preparing and eating meals, driving, returning to work, and leisure activities.
  • Physiotherapists help patients recover their physical abilities, including strength, balance, and mobility.
  • Pharmacists teach patients about medications, how to take them safely, and what side effects to watch for.
  • Social workers support patients’ and families’ social and emotional needs, connecting them to community services such as caregiver support and respite care, housing, and financial aid.
  • Registered dietitians assess nutritional status and ability to eat, identifying safe, nutritious foods that help patients recover.
  • Speech-language pathologists help patients with swallowing and communication, including speaking.
  • Spiritual care advisors integrate spiritual beliefs and practices with therapeutic techniques, to address the emotional, psychological, and spiritual aspects of well-being.
  • Stroke navigators support patients and their families as they transition through the stroke system from hospital to community.
  • Respiratory therapists assist with breathing assessments, airway maintenance, and oxygenation.
  • Home and community care coordinators discuss home services and therapies patients may qualify for to assist in a safe return home.
  • March of Dimes volunteers have lived stroke experience and visit patients and families to provide emotional support, education, and connections to the community and the After Stroke program.

Information for family members and care partners

Family members and care partners may visit patients staying on the Acute Inpatient Stroke Unit. Two visitors are permitted at a time, and visiting hours take place from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. To respect all patients’ need for rest, no overnight visitors are permitted. Please be aware you may be asked to step out of the room so team members can provide care.

When visiting your loved one, it’s important to know that all medications should be given to patients by a nurse, even vitamins, minerals, or herbal medications from home. Please also speak to the team before giving any patient food or drinks as some patients are following special diets for their health. If you see a patient who needs assistance, please call a nurse or team member to help.