The Caregiver has usually assumed this role unexpectedly with no experience and/or training for the role. They’re usually the spouse or family member of the Stroke SURVIVOR Because of this fact both the SURVIVOR and Caregiver will inevitably make some mistakes Everthing that follows from the viewpoint and actual experience of a 72 year old SURVIVOR of 13 years I’m very fortunate that my Caregiver is my wife of 50 years Just like you I’m sure you and your Caregiver were not prepared for the life that we’ve lived since March of 2013
Fortunately the stroke has resulted in me having physical limitations (paralyzed left arm and hand: a very weak left leg causing me to use a cane to walk Fortunately I’m pretty mentally sound (my wife may completely disagree with me on that) My speech is good thanks to some good speech therapy while in the hospital initially I thought that my speech was a little slurred but everyone told me that it wasn’t At first I didn’t believe them, thought they were just being nice and considerate due to my condition, I have come to believe that they were right because I’ve had no issues talking to anyone over the last 13 years
SURVIVOR DO’S &DON’T’S
- Know your limitations and realize that you probably are unable to do some of the things you did before the stroke. Failure to recognize this could result result in you hurting your Caregiver or yourself
- Always try to remember that yours isn’t the only life changed by your stroke it’s also drastically changed the lives of your Caregiver and family members
- Do the home excercises that your Therapist gave you it can significantly impact the speed and extent of your recovery
- Try to be nice to your Caregiver. Depending on the severity of your stroke and the extent of the limitations it caused. You need your Caregiver possibly more than you’ve ever needed anyone
- Dont take your frustrations out on your Caregiver
- Be open and honest with your doctors. Tell them how you feel both physically and mentally. Don’t be to proud to go to a Phyciatrist,if recommended by your doctor. It’s very common to be depressed after having a stroke and to be prescribed depression medication afterwards .
CAREGIVER Do’s and DON’T’S
- Try to be patient with the SURVIVOR, They will probably seem frustrated and show the frustrations verbally to you
- Let the SURVIVOR try to do things on their own if they want to. But only if’s safe for them to do so
- Try to be supportive and give them help when you see them struggling. They probably want to do it on their own,more than you want them to do it on their own They wouldn’t be struggling and probably getting frustrated if they could easily complete what they were doing without any help. Know when to help and when not to. They appreciate your help when they struggle to c complete a task on their own. On the other hand. It’s okay to ask if they want help. If they say “no” it’s probably because it’s important for them to do it by themselves especially if it’s something they’ve never successfully done by themselves before complement and congratulate them if they accomplish something for the first time,especially if it’s something they easily did before the stroke. To them every now accomplishment is a Big Deal because it makes them feel that they’re getting better,even if to you it isn’t a big deal Every little thing is a step closer in their mind to being less dependent on you or someone else to complete what was easy for them before the stroke
- Try to minimize saying:”you can’t do that”,unless it’s something they can hurt themselves doing Again, they’re probably just looking for a sign that they’re improving and thus become less dependent on you and/or less of a burden