Stroke Rehabiliation and Recovery Tips

Submitted by PatientsEngage on 28 October 2018

Stroke Rehabilitation and Recovery is a long drawn out process which can be exhausting and de-motivating for both the survivors and their family members. We have compiled some of the best tips from patients, family caregivers and professionals.

Stroke survivor Javed Ameer's 3 most important tips for rehabilitation for a cerebral stroke patient are:

  • Be ‘physical’. Cycle, walk, jog, run, exercise………
  • Accept your fate and state. Mentally. Faster you do it, better for your peace of mind!
  • Reading can take you places (my choice has been travelogues), music and meditation help but remember you are there absolutely alone. Don’t even expect anything from anyone. Each one of us have our own battles. Get up and go. As I said ‘be physical’.

Read Javed Ameer's Recovery Journey With Stroke - Challenges and Tips

She fainted and lost her vision, speech all at once due to a stroke but she eventually resumed painting. Her motto in life is: 

  • Always count your blessings! My family doctor taught me that. Don’t lament on what is gone. He made me understand that loss of an eye was insignificant in the greater picture. I should be happy to have my loving family, my life and having recovered a stroke and tumour with minimal damage.

Read the rest of her lived experience here and if she could have prevented it

Tips for Stroke Caregivers by Deepa Samant Soman, who looks after her father who was paralysed after a stroke

Vasant Samant, a supremely independent man, lost all that was dear to him when he suffered a stroke and was paralysed on the left side of his body. Into 10 years of his stroke, his daughter, Deepa Soman, noted down 10 lessons to caregivers drawn from her experience of inspiring and being inspired.

  • Keep them as an integral, participative part of an equation and not on the periphery.
  • Connect with the patient’s friends, relatives, colleagues, caregivers, doctors, therapists. Enlist and co-opt their partnering. Make the recovery a ‘shared goal’. Everyone is working to the same cause of reclaiming ‘wholeness’. Acknowledge and cherish.
  • Positivity begets energy to stay invested in the long haul of the road to recovery.  Celebrate wins, big and small milestones. Make every moment count.

Read Deepa's reflection on her father's recovery and hacks recommended for caregivers. 

After a stroke nearly 20-40 per cent patients develop communication problems or aphasia.

Aphasia is the inability to comprehend and formulate language because of damage to specific language areas in the brain. Dr Sujata Gandhi, Speech Therapist, Nanavati Hospital, advises that speech and language therapy is the best way to restore normalcy and quality of life and shares the following guidelines for communicating with people with Aphasia

  • Respect the patient’s age - do not treat or speak to them like a child.
  • Do not ridicule or laugh at the errors or mistakes that they make.
  • Speak slowly and clearly. Do not shout.
  • Be patient and encouraging.

For more on understanding how to deal with Aphasia and other speech related issues click here 

Mood disturbances, like depression and anxiety disorders, are common post-stroke. 

35% to 60% of stroke survivors experience cognitive impairment with impairments in concentration, slowness of thought and response, memory, planning and doing things, perception, communication and language.Porrselvi A.P. a cognitive and psychosocial interventions specialist recommends

  • Screen for cognitive and mood disturbances within 6 weeks post-stroke
  • Start rehab as early as possible as most of the recovery post-stroke takes place in the first three months. 

Read here for more on "Healing The Mind After A Stroke" by Porrselvi A.P

 

Community
Stroke Rehab and Recovery
Condition
Stroke
Changed
Sun, 10/24/2021 - 19:35

Stories

  • Stroke Prevention and Management – What You Can Do
    Stroke is the third leading cause of death in India and a leading cause of disability. Dr. Atulabh Vajpeyee, neurologist and founder of the Stroke Support Group Udaipur (SSGU), talks about the magnitude of the problem of stroke, how to rein in your risks and the importance of correct and timely management of the disease. Stroke is the second most common cause of death after coronary artery diseases. What are the different types of stroke? It is the second leading cause of death in the world,…
  • Physical Activity and Exercise Can Help Keep Mental Illness in Control
    Exercise and yoga can improve quality of life for people with mental illness and reduce risks of strokes, diabetes, auditory hallucinations and other health problems, informs Dr R Padmavati, Additional Director, Schizophrenia Research Foundation. World Health Organisation defines physical activity as any bodily movement produced by skeletal muscles that requires energy expenditure. Physical activity is not just "exercise". Exercise, is a subcategory of physical activity that is planned,…
  • White Meat vs Red Meat: Which is Healthier?
    Is it true that red meat should be avoided, while white meat encouraged? Bonnie Lau, an Australian-trained dietitian, counselling patients on GlycoLeap, answers. Here, we compare the pros and cons of both and helps you decide which type of meat you should eat in the future. Meat is a great source of protein and lots of vitamins and minerals. But there are claims that red meat (mutton, lamb, beef, pork) should generally be avoided, while white meat (chicken, duck, fish) is encouraged. We look at…
  • Never Too Old to Sing
    The Choir of the Loaves and Fish, a musical ensemble of senior citizens, started by Pervin Varma with Regina Thomas in Bengaluru has been immensely therapeutic for the elderly and has helped bring loads of warmth and sunshine into their lives. Picture above: Ammachy taking a bow with Pervin Varma Imagine a group of people – all senior citizens between 65 and 96 – people who have suffered strokes or are living with cancer, arthritis, heart disease, dementia, physical disabilities, people with…
  • Journey from Negative to Positive through Dance Movement Therapy
    Restoring self-esteem and self-worth is what Dance Movement Therapy by Renelle Snelleksz has successfully achieved for a cross section of people like people with Parkinson’s Disease or those with a history of physical abuse and even children who have survived cancer but are deeply scarred. What is Dance Movement Therapy? How is it different from learning Dance? Dance Movement Therapy (DMT) is very different from technique-based dance in that it creates a safe and non-judgemental space for…
  • Speech and Hearing Disorders in an Aging Population
    Dr S.P. Goswami, Professor of Speech Pathology at Mysore counsels that with the right kind of support, the load of the communication disorder can be shared equally by the aged individual as well as the family, the key to it being to meet them halfway. Aging is a phenomenon which starts from birth and brings about changes in the individual across the life span. However, beyond the yardstick of 60 years, anatomical and physiological changes become highly evident in the human body, thereby leading…
  • A person in a blue full sleeved shirt holding his head indicating a brain stroke
    Post-Stroke Depression Is Common
    But often overlooked, says Porrselvi A.P. a cognitive and psychosocial interventions specialist. Here, she offers a case study and practical strategies to guide you back to normal life.   The patient: Mrs. K, a 67-year-old woman had a stroke in the left side of her brain in September last year.  Her condition: Mrs K was referred for cognitive and psychological evaluation following complaints of social withdrawal, memory disturbances and increased irritability…
  • Stroke Management
    In addition to Treatment and Rehabilitation, the following aspects are equally important Nutrition  Eat like a Mediterranean (fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grain foods, lean meats and poultry, fatty fish once or twice a week)  Cut fat intake Limit your alcohol consumption Limit salt intake. Exercise Make exercise a habit as soon as the doctor gives you the go-ahead. Exercise at least 30-40 minutes every day. Exercise will help you maintain an ideal weight and…
  • Stroke Treatment
    The primary goal of treating stroke patients is to restore blood flow to the brain. The doctor will consider some of the following options: Medications that dissolve the blood clot.  Surgical procedures that can open up or widen arteries - either in the carotid artery or in the brain, wherever the blockage is located. The carotid artery is located in the neck, supplying blood to the brain, neck and face. There are two carotid arteries, one on the right and one on the left.  Once the…
  • Tests for Stroke
    What tests do you need to have done? Stroke is a medical emergency, and anyone suspected of having a stroke should be taken to hospital immediately (delay affects rehab) so that tests can be done and the correct treatment provided as quickly as possible. Tests include: Physical examination and tests like a blood pressure test, blood tests to check cholesterol levels and blood sugar levels.  Ultrasound - a wand waved over the neck can provide a picture that shows whether there is any…