Stroke awareness and recovery

Brought to You by - Home Helpers of Alpharetta and North

Atlanta Suburbs

May is National Stroke Awareness month, highlighting the symptoms and recovery challenges posed by the most common cause of disability in our country. Someone has a stroke every 40 seconds, with over 800,000 strokes and 140,000 deaths in the USA each year.

Almost 80% of strokes are caused by lifestyle choices we can address. High blood pressure is a leading cause along with smoking (which quadruples your risk), diabetes, lack of exercise, cardiovascular disease, obesity, being 65 or older and having a family history.

The most common stroke type is Ischemic, when a blood clot blocks a vein or artery in the brain. A Hemorrhagic stroke occurs when a blood vessel bursts in the brain. It’s important to know the signs and act quickly, as doctors can give clot busting drugs within 4 hours of the onset of a stroke. Early warning signs include face drooping or numbness in the face, arms or legs on one side of the body, arm weakness and motion difficulty, loss of balance, sudden confusion, speech difficulty or words that don’t make sense, sudden severe headache, blurry vision and trouble seeing from one or both eyes. If you suspect a stroke is happening, call 911 immediately.

After a stroke certain physical issues can occur, including weakness or paralysis, walking, speech and coordination difficulties, fatigue, cognitive and memory problems, trouble swallowing, depression and anxiety. Recovery time differs, and almost 10% of stroke victims recover almost completely. Another 25% recover with minor impairments and 40% will have moderate to severe impairments that require special care. The first 3 to 6 months are the time to make the most strides in recovery, but performance can continue to show improvement 12 to 18 months out. Recovery is likely to start in a rehabilitation center with a team that includes speech and language pathologists and physical therapists. Researchers have found that after discharge, stroke patients who continued rehabilitation and physical therapy at home had a faster recovery and, after three months, performed activities of daily living at higher levels than those who only received traditional rehabilitation.

At Home Helpers we create a unique care plan that can meet your immediate needs and change as recovery progresses. A heart centered, skilled in-home caregiver can assist with daily consistent exercise - helping to follow your occupational and physical therapist’s techniques that are so vital for recovery. Most stroke patients tire easily and will need help with housekeeping, meal preparation or feeding while regaining use of their hand or arm. Many need help with showers and personal grooming. Your loved one may experience vision difficulties that require them to stop driving, or emotional changes that make them anxious or more easily frustrated.

We’re here to help - from six hours a day, several days a week to 24/7 and live-in care. For a free consultation please call Home Helpers of Alpharetta and North Atlanta (770) 681-0323.