How to Take Care of Loved Ones Who are Recovering from Stroke

In the United States, a stroke occurs every 40 seconds. Meanwhile, every 3.5 seconds, a person dies from a stroke. This means this health condition is prevalent and life-threatening; the next victim could be your loved one. Experiencing a stroke isn’t only difficult for the patient as it can also affect every family member.

If a family member recently had a stroke, it would be best if you helped them recover. Caring for a stroke patient isn’t easy, but it’s doable. Here are some tips on caring for your loved one who just had a stroke to ensure they get the care they need.

Educate Yourself

You might not know anything about stroke unless you are a physician or working in the health care industry. In that case, you should educate yourself about your loved one’s condition to better provide them with the necessary care.

There are so many things that you need to learn. So, you better take every opportunity to learn the condition and prognosis of your loved one and everything about stroke. Hospitals even offer support groups for stroke patients and their families. Grab this chance and consider it as a way to learn.

Concentrate your education on rehabilitation, stroke recovery, and the proper way to handle and care for stroke patients.

Follow the Doctor’s Order

The next thing you can do to care for your loved one properly is to follow the doctor’s order. It’s ideal that you accompany your loved one to their visit to the doctor as you’ll become one of the primary caregivers for your loved one when you get back home.

You must ensure the patient gets the right medication dosage and won’t miss a single dose. One way to ensure you will have enough medication your loved one needs is to get coupons.

For example, clopidogrel is a common medication used by stroke patients. Since it is a medication that prevents your blood from becoming sticky by slowing down the platelet’s blood clotting action, the patient shouldn’t miss a single dose.

Therefore, getting a Clopidogrel Coupon will help you purchase enough clopidogrel at a lower cost. A medicine coupon will help you continue the medication even during a financial crisis.

Provide Emotional Support

Emotional support is as vital as physical support. A stroke patient experiences various emotions, such as sadness, anger, and shock, due to the changes and the losses they experience after the event.

Some even can’t accept that they aren’t as mobile as before a stroke. Thus, changes in their mood, behavior, and attitude are possible. If this happens, don’t take anything personally. Instead, try to empathize with your loved one and understand them.

Instead of getting mad at them, try to provide support for them even if they say they don’t need any. Validate their feelings and let them know that you are there to lend an ear and an extra hand if they need them. Of course, you don’t have to do everything for your loved one when taking care of them. Take a step back sometimes with certain tasks and let their confidence grow back so they can return to a sense of normalcy and independence.

Prioritize Safety

Aside from providing them with the physical and emotional help they need, your responsibility is to make your home safe. You can discuss the dos and don’t of home safety for stroke patients with an occupational therapist as this can help you decide what changes are necessary.

An example of changes you need to consider is changing the patient’s room since it is where they stay most of the time. If the patient’s room is on the second floor, transferring them to a room on the ground floor would be helpful.

It will be easier for them and for you to move them around the house without the stairs. Another thing to do is to remove rugs or carpets as the patient could trip and fall on them. Installing grab bars in the bathroom and around the house will help the patient move around the house safely.

Don’t Miss Rehabilitation

Post-stroke rehabilitation is crucial to the patient’s recovery. Some stroke patients recover faster than the rest, and rehab can help achieve proper recovery. During rehab, patients are given a chance to relearn skills they lost due to the damage to their brain caused by stroke.

Another vital thing that makes rehabilitation crucial to stroke patients is its ability to protect them from developing further medical problems such as urinary tract infections, pneumonia, and clotting in large veins.

Don’t Forget to Take Care Of Yourself

It is common for a caregiver to lose their self-care as they focus solely on the betterment of their patients. But you need to keep in mind that if you want to be effective in taking care of your loved one, you need to take care of yourself first.

Imagine what will happen to your patient if you get sick. Who will take care of them? That’s why you should include self-care as a part of an effective care plan for a stroke patient. Take your daily dose of vitamins, eat healthy food, sleep properly, and exercise.

Final Words

Caring for a stroke patient is not an easy task. However, by following proper guidelines like what we suggested, you will slowly ease up and adjust to the changes. Feeling overwhelmed is normal, but it is highly encouraged to seek help from professionals, other family members, friends, healthcare providers, and even the internet.