Caring for a Loved One After a Stroke

According the Stroke Center, strokes are the third leading cause of death in the U.S. and approximately 795,000 people suffer from a stroke each year.  This means that on average, every 40 seconds someone in the United States has a stroke.

Furthermore, strokes are the leading cause of serious, long-term disability.  The Stroke Center states that, “Family caregivers and friends play a critical role in a loved one’s recovery from stroke, particularly as time spent in hospitals and rehabilitation facilities continues to decrease.”  Since a stroke can take at least two years to recover from, most of the time a person spends recovering from the event is at home in the care of friends or family members.   

The WebMD site offers some good advice for anyone caring for a loved one recovering from a stroke.  Their first recommendation is to educating yourself as much as possible about their condition and prognosis.  Take advantage of a community or hospital run program to learn about stroke and the rehabilitation process.

They also advise families to look into their insurance and Medicare coverage.  This way you will know what type of expenses you will be expected to cover and not get any unpleasant surprises down the road.  Another tip from WebMD is to attend a few therapy sessions with your loved one so you can understand what they are going through and better support them during their recovery.    

Perhaps most importantly they recommend that you “assess your loved one's needs as well as your ability to meet them.”  This means you may need to seek some outside help from professionals who can assist you in providing the best care for them. 

Services such as SNYERGY HomeCare can provide assistance with a wide range of physical care services to help you or your loved one recover and cope following a stroke.   Our home care services are versatile, flexible, and customized for your comfort and peace of mind.  Contact us to learn more. 

*Our post is for information purposes only and not a substitute for seeking medical advice.

At SYNERGY HomeCare, we are one of the most trusted names in home care in Colorado serving the Front Range since 2006. We have grown to 5 offices and will add 2 more locations in 2015.  Our successful growth can be summarized by one word, "Service".  Our mission is to ensure that every client is treated with the upmost respect and dignity, and we strive to incorporate those beliefs into all of our home health care services. We are available 24/7 to listen to your unique story and provide you answers to all your questions.

Sources:webmd.com/stroke/features/stroke-recovery-tips-for-the-caregiver, strokecenter.org/patients/about-stroke/stroke-statistics/