Strokes can be devasting, and if you have a loved one who suffers from one, this can be a very distressing experience. Not only are you worried about their wellbeing at the time this happens, but the journey to recovery can be long and it might even require big adjustments to their lifestyle moving forward. Although strokes can happen at younger ages, it isn’t uncommon for senior citizens to experience this in their later years. If you have an elderly family member who has had a stroke, below are some tips to help you navigate their care and recovery.
1. Do Your Research
If you want to assist your family member with their recovery, it’s a good idea to do some further research into how you can help and what to expect. Strokes can impact a person’s cognitive functions, their mobility, and they may even suffer from depression and anxiety as they deal with these issues. Understanding how to help them more effectively is important so that you can give them the right support. You can learn more about how a stroke might change a person’s lifestyle here.
2. Keep Up with Follow-up Appointments
You should also make sure that your relative is keeping up with all the healthcare appointments after their stroke to keep track of their progress. They may need to work with occupational therapists, physiotherapists, and other healthcare teams to help them recover. The extent of their treatment will depend largely on how severely they have been affected by the stroke. Taking them to their appointments is a good way to do this, and it can also help to provide them with some moral support as they continue with the recovery process.
3. Consider Specialist Care
Another thing to keep in mind is whether or not specialist care is required after your relative’s stroke. Although they will be receiving this from their healthcare team, if they are unable to live at home independently and you are unable to assist them, you might need to hire a live-in carer or look at moving them into a care home. This could be temporary or full-time, depending on the extent of their needs. To see what kind of care your relative could get at a signature care home.
4. Make Sure That You Have a Support Network in Place
While your priority might be taking care of your relative’s wellbeing during this time, it is just as important to make sure that you have the right support in place as well. This experience can be very emotional and overwhelming, so having loved ones who can help you or even turning to support groups might benefit you. You need to also make sure that you are practicing good self-care so that you can help your relative while not burning yourself out.
If you have recently had a loved one who has had a stroke and you are trying to help them on the road to recovery, consider these tips and see if they can help you along the way.
