My Dad Had a Stroke? 10 Things Caregivers Need to Know
Caring for a loved one after a stroke can be a demanding experience, marked by practical and emotional challenges. The immediate change from being a child to a caregiver can be overwhelming as you navigate through doctor's appointments and therapy sessions and adjust to a new lifestyle.
Educating yourself about your loved one's needs is crucial as a caregiver. You need to understand their condition, common symptoms, and treatment. This knowledge helps you be more prepared and confident for the caregiving journey.
Being informed and prepared for the role of caregiver for a senior who has had a stroke is the beginning of adequate care and making informed decisions. This post details ten essential things caregivers need to know while caring for a parent with a stroke.
1. Understand the Impact of a Stroke
The impact of a stroke on caregivers and other members of the family is considerable. You must understand a few things to provide better care to stroke patients on their way to recovery.
Strokes happen when the blood flowing to the brain stops. This also prevents the brain from receiving oxygen and nutrients. As a result, the cells in the brain die within minutes, causing a loss of brain function, lasting damage, disability, or death.
The physical effects of stroke vary from one patient to another. You can experience muscle weakness and struggle with standing, sitting, walking, holding things, or moving your arms.
After a stroke, memory loss and other cognitive impairments can affect your loved one's quality of life. This means that how the brain organizes, understands, and stores information is altered.
Typical cognitive effects of a stroke include:
- Confusion
- Inability to follow conversations
- Inability to reason or make judgments
- Being unusually forgetful
- Concentration problems
A stroke will affect the brain, and it controls emotions and behavior. Your loved one can experience feelings of irritability, fear, frustration, anger, and depression.
2. Preparing the Home for Your Parent's Return
Before your parent returns home after a stroke, family members can take a few steps to prepare the home for their care. Home modifications aim to make life easier for recovering stroke patients so they can receive assistance from caregivers safely. Below are some essential home modifications that are useful for stroke patients with poor memory, impaired motor control, or lack of balance:
- Grab Bars/Rails
- Shower Seats
- Motion Activated Lighting
Nowadays, many homes are raised above ground, requiring stairways to access the front door. This isn't the best situation for stroke patients with difficulties going up or down the stairs. A ramp is an excellent alternative to the stairway, and it's easily accessible to a parent who uses a walking aid or a wheelchair.
The JubileeTV platform can also support stroke patients and caregivers in different ways. Caregivers can play their role remotely by setting reminders for medication, doctor's appointments, and events.
JubileeTV also has a user-friendly video calling feature that a family member can use to connect to their loved one through a mobile phone. These features add peace of mind to caregivers and family members.
3. Coordinating Medical Care
A caregiver can coordinate medical care for their parent at home by ensuring that appointment dates are not missed and the rehabilitation sessions are completed as recommended.
The medical care of a stroke patient requires a team of medical professionals. They include mental health professionals, rehabilitation specialists and nurses, occupational or physical therapists, and speech therapists. The caregiver will need to ensure that all parties are kept informed about which medications and therapies are being used.
Rehabilitation is meant to treat and improve mobility issues and the disabilities that might have occurred due to the stroke. Options may include changing the patient's environment, using adaptive tools, and going for therapy.
Caregivers should ensure their loved ones take their medicine as prescribed by the doctor. They should also understand the side effects that the medication may cause.
4. Supporting Your Parent's Emotional Well-being
Family caregivers can support their parent's emotional well-being by being empathetic and listening to them.
Recognizing Signs of Depression and Anxiety
Signs of depression may be noticed after a parent has had a stroke. They include:
- Lack of interest
- Feeling worthless
- Helplessness
- Loss of appetite
You can provide emotional support for your loved one by listening to their thoughts and supporting them no matter what. Non-judgmental support from family can be effective for patients with anxiety and mild depression.
There are many resources available to provide support for stroke survivors in recovery. These resources include online groups, the local community, friends, and family. Your parent's healthcare team can help you find the best resources for your particular needs.
5. Helping Your Parent with Daily Activities
You can help your parent with daily activities such as eating puree foods and preparing soft foods for them.
Caregivers can help their loved ones with mobility training to regain their functional independence. Stroke survivors can be assisted using mobility aids such as walkers, ankle braces, canes, and wheelchairs.
Personal care tasks may involve helping your dad with dressing. You can lay out their favorite clothes and let them use their stronger arm to dress the other weak side.
There are cutting-edge technologies that can be used to rehabilitate stroke survivors. Innovative solutions such as virtual reality (VR) therapy and AI-powered tools for rehabilitation are designed to improve cognitive function, motor skills, and the quality of life after a stroke attack.
6. Communication Strategies After a Stroke
Challenges with communication can occur after a stroke. It can worsen during the first weeks of recovery but gradually improves within six months.
You can address communication challenges after a stroke by using persistent effort and getting help from assistive devices and tools. Stroke patients will improve on communication long after the stroke.
Caregivers can help stroke patients with verbal communication by being patient with them and encouraging them. Let the patient speak without interrupting, and never talk down to them. Speak with the person clearly and slowly using short sentences.
JubileeTV's video calling feature lets your parents see the smiles, laughter, and moments they share with family and friends. With JubileeTV's app, you can video call your loved one easily and feel like you're in the same room. The platform also includes tools for setting up and controlling the TV, managing content access, and providing remote assistance with TV issues.
7. Managing Your Own Caregiver Stress
Caregiving for a loved one can be demanding, even for the most resilient people. You can be overwhelmed by the emotions and challenges that come with this role, which can make you feel trapped.
Some signs that indicate burnout in caregiving include feelings of helplessness, hopelessness, body aches, chronic fatigue, and changes in appetite. As a caregiver, it is also important to care for your physical and emotional well-being. Some tips include:
- Being active
- A balanced diet
- Enough sleep
- Taking a break
- Asking for support
Building a support network is key to caregiver well-being. Your support network may consist of family and friends, other caregivers, and support groups online and within the local community. These networks offer emotional support, share knowledge and resources, and offer practical advice.
8. Understanding Financial and Legal Considerations
The financial and legal implications of stroke can be unpredictable and overwhelming. The lifetime cost of rehabilitation, follow-ups, and inpatient care is substantial.
Medical facilities are willing to work with stroke patients to establish payment options and offer discounts on services provided. You can also explore insurance policy options to reduce medical bills related to stroke treatment.
Stroke patients should have legal documents to ensure that their wishes are respected and that they receive proper care. These documents are guardianship, advance directives, living wills, and power of attorney.
There are a few ways a person with a stroke can benefit financially. They include the employer if the patient was employed before the stroke and non-profit organizations.
9. Planning for Long-Term Care
Planning for long-term care for a loved one with a stroke often requires rehabilitation, lifestyle changes, and, in many cases, hiring professional help. Assessing the need for ongoing care for stroke patients involves evaluating factors such as their psychological state, functional ability, and communication skills.
In-home care helps patients to maintain independence and feel comfortable in familiar surroundings. Assisted living provides a safe and independent environment along with rehabilitative care.
JubileeTV's platform improves independence and connection for older adults. It simplifies the TV experience for seniors and allows members of the family to stay connected and check in on their loved one remotely.
10. Encouraging Your Parent's Independence
A caregiver might assume that the parent in recovery can do nothing on their own. But you can help by letting them do what they can. Caregivers can promote independence for stroke patients in recovery by helping them do soft exercises, using grab bars, engaging in leisure activities they enjoy, and using smart home technology to make daily tasks easier.
For stroke survivors in recovery, the caregiver can have achievable goals in place. The goals should be manageable to avoid being overwhelmed. Technology empowers stroke survivors through assistive devices, apps, and other digital tools.
Caring for Your Parent After a Stroke
As a family caregiver, understanding the physical and emotional challenges that your mom or dad is going through can help you provide better care and support. It's important to remember that you're not alone. Enlisting the help of other family members, healthcare providers, and care professionals is crucial for your own well-being and the well-being of your loved one.
JubileeTV simplifies caregiving tasks by allowing you to be there for your parent, even from a distance. The platform reduces social isolation and enables your loved one to be more independent while recovering at home.
Learn more about JubileeTV's helpful features for caregivers and seniors, and provide the quality care your loved one needs, even when you can't be there in person!
