4 Tips to Help a Loved One With Stroke Recovery

A stroke can have a profound effect on a person's vision, balance, memory, and cognition. It can also cause complications, such as pain and muscle spasms. If you are caring for a loved one who is recovering from a stroke, here are some key things to remember to help you keep his or her recovery on track.

Be Patient with Other Caregivers

During your loved one's recovery, several friends and family members may want to help care for him or her. It is important that you try to be patient with the other caregivers. Impatience can not only be stressful to the other caregivers, but also your loved one. 

Many of your loved one's friends and family are most likely learning the skills needed as they are assisting. As a result, some days might be rougher than others. Try to remember that over time, their skills and level of help will improve. 

Encourage Participation in a Recovery Program

Regular assessments by your loved one's doctor are important, but your loved one will need far more than the help of the family doctor to recover. As part of his or her recovery, encourage your loved one to participate in a recovery program that includes rehabilitation with professionals, such as a physical therapist, speech therapist, and occupational therapist.

Rehabilitation plays a major role in helping your loved one re-learn skills, such as speech, walking, and memory. The providers will work together to create a program that is specifically designed to his or her needs. You may want to investigate websites of local specialists, such as http://www.nrothandrehab.com, to determine which is the best option. Stay engaged with your loved one's doctors and specialists so that you can help him or her stay on track.

Know the Signs of Depression

Unfortunately, one of the conditions that can result from a stroke is depression. Depression not only impacts your loved one's mental health, but it can impact his or her physical recovery. Major depression can leave your loved one unwilling to attend recovery and affect how much of an effort he or she is willing to exert.

Study the signs of depression with your family and anyone else who is involved in caring for your loved one. If you or your family notice the early warning signs in your loved one's behavior, seek medical attention immediately. Talking to a therapist can oftentimes be the help he or she needs to overcome depression.

Get Active

Risk factors, such as stress and being overweight, can possibly result in another stroke. To avoid complicating your loved one's recovery with the occurrence of another stroke, encourage him or her to get active. By being active, he or she can alleviate stress and help keep his or her weight under control.

Consult with your loved one's therapist and other medical care providers to learn other ways that you can help with the recovery effort. By working with various medical care providers, you can ensure that you are doing everything possible to help your loved one get better. 


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