No one plans these difficult and tragic events that happen in our lives, yet we must think ahead and prepare ourselves as best we can. One such event is a loved one having a stroke. It happens suddenly, unexpectedly, and then one’s family and friends see how they can support and rally around their loved one. How can we be prepared?
One thing is to know the warning signs of a stroke. We probably have heard it described as “the worst headache ever”. Others don’t have that warning or experience. Some have simply not been able to move their head or turn their neck. Signs can include numbness in one’s face/arm/leg often on one side of the body. They may also have trouble speaking, understanding or have vision problems. Whatever the unusual experience is, one should already have in mind to go to the hospital when something unusual happens.
We have to mentally prepare ourselves, which involves practicing, by reminding ourselves that should we have an unusual experience, go to the hospital; so that it will become an automatic response. By doing this, you’re not setting yourself up for a stroke to occur. Just as when you lock the front door of your home, you’re not setting yourself up to have your home broken into. It is simply following good sense. By being aware and prepared you may find that you are able to help someone else who is having that experience, it could be totally random.
The next steps after a stroke has occurred: think about the loved one coming home. What will that look like? Will they be back in their bedroom, or is a rented hospital bed a better option? Once they are settled, it’s now focusing on the daily needs and routines. Who does the cooking, cleaning, shopping, and finances? How will those needs be handled? There are times when the person who takes care of things is the one who’s had the stroke. The spouse or partner now must figure out how to take care of their needs. Everyone in the home should learn how to take care of every aspect of daily living. If you are not the one who cooks, jump in and join your partner at the stove. See how meals are prepared, work together, learn some new skills, you won’t regret it. About cleaning the house, it only takes moments to dust, sweep, and disinfect. When you think ahead about the possibilities it gives you a moment to consider your resources. Do you have a network of friends and family that can step in? If the answer to that question is “no”, then you have something to put on your ‘to do’ list. This means that you’re to think about who would meet those needs? It may mean looking ahead into resources such as home cleaning agencies or tapping into community networks.
Check out your senior center, that would be a great first step. The director there may already have a list of resources for home care needs or someone who could run errands, or other things that may come up. Doing a bit of ‘homework’, such as finding and listing resources may be all that you need should an unexpected event occur, like a loved one experiencing a stroke. If you would like resources for home care or other support services, you may email me at nwall@sil-oh.org.