According to the Stroke Association, there are over 1.4 million stroke survivors in the UK. While some of these should make a full recovery, others might need either temporary or permanent care.
Are you helping a loved one to recover from a stroke? If so, this is your essential guide to caring for a stroke patient at home. We’ll cover what to expect, the sort of support you can provide, and the sort of professional assistance that’s available, if you need it.
What Are The Effects of a Stroke?
When a person suffers a stroke, it means that blood has stopped flowing to a certain part of the brain. This might affect their speech, their movement, and their cognitive abilities. These effects may be temporary or permanent. The person may recover in a matter of months, but it may also take years.
What Support Might a Person Need Following a Stroke?
A stroke survivor might need help with the following:
- Communication – They may struggle to talk, so they may need your help in communicating their feelings and needs.
- Mobility – They may have trouble moving, they may have balance issues, or they may feel weak, or tired. As a result, they may need some assistance in getting around.
- Eating and drinking – Following a stroke, a person might have difficulty handling cutlery and swallowing.
- Emotional support – Depression and other mental health conditions are relatively common following a stroke.
- Overnight care – A stroke survivor may have trouble sleeping, or their sleep might be regularly disrupted by their symptoms
Why Care at Home is Important for Stroke Survivors
Following a stroke, quality aftercare in the home can help the survivor recover while retaining as much of their dignity and independence as possible.
In the days and weeks following a stroke, a survivor might receive specialist care from trained healthcare professionals, including nurses and physiotherapists. But depending on their specific needs, it may be necessary to provide long-term home care.
What Home Care For Stroke Patients Can Include
Home care might include:
- Mobility support
- Personal care, including help with dressing, bathing, eating, drinking, using the toilet, and other everyday tasks
- Medication management
- Help with running errands, including arranging for medical care, prescriptions, and hospital visits
On top of this, you can monitor the stroke survivor for warning signs that they might need more support and raise the alarm when necessary. And crucially, you can provide some much needed companionship care, to help them manage their emotions.
Key Steps For Caring For A Stroke Survivor At Home
- Write a care plan. This should outline the person’s unique care and support needs, including their medication requirements, and their physiotherapy schedule. Read our full guide to writing a care plan here.
- Prepare your home. For an idea of the sort of amendments and adjustments you might need to make to support a person with mobility or cognitive needs, read our guide to caring for dementia patients at home. This is not to say that a stroke survivor has the same needs as a dementia patient! But the sort of adjustments that could help a dementia patient retain their dignity and independence could also make a difference for stroke survivors.
- Medication management. You will need a system for ensuring that the stroke survivor takes their medication when they need it, and in the right dosage. Read our full guide to medication support here.
- Therapeutic support – You can arrange for physiotherapy and speech therapy, and you may be able to provide some support. There may be some exercises you can go through to help with their recovery outside of their structured therapy sessions.
- Companionship care – Your love, support, and companionship can help them manage their emotions, and potentially rebuild their communication skills. You can arrange for additional companionship care support if you need help here.
Personalised Care at Home Support for Stroke Survivors in the Surrey Area
At Crossroads Care Surrey, we can provide bespoke support within the home for stroke survivors with our Crossroads Direct service.
Experienced carers provide personalised support to help stroke survivors maintain their independence, wellbeing and dignity at home.
Learn more about our care at home services for adults. Or for more information, call 01372 677 831.
