Ten Tips for Caregivers to Stroke Survivors

According to the American Stroke Association 5,700,000 stroke survivors are alive in the United States. Strokes, they say, are the leading cause of long-term disability. If your loved one just had a stroke, you (or another relative) will face the scary prospect of becoming a new caregiver as soon as your survivor is released from the hospital or stroke rehab center. It will be a long road filled with small and large disappointments, tiny and great rewards.

At times you will feel helpless and inept. At other times you will feel like you are your loved one's greatest warrior in a world where you have to fight for therapies, information, understanding, help, payments from the insurance companies, and time to get everything done that needs doing. These are all normal experiences and feelings. Adapting the ten tips below can help you cope and become a more effective caregiver.

(1) Keep good records. Set up a notebook with sections to:
a) Document all your phone calls to doctors, therapists, hospitals, and pharmacies.
b) Document all applications and contacts with places like Social Security Disability, the Veteran Administrations, insurance companies, banks, pension administrations, etc.
c) Document out-patient or home therapies and your loved one's progress and moods
e) Keep a record of all appointments
f) Keep contact information for doctors, hospitals, therapists, pharmacies, facilities, agencies, community and internet resources, etc.
g) Keep notes of all medications given and the effects you see in your loved one when changes are made

(2) All strokes are different depending on the location in the brain and the size of the clot or bleed. All stroke survivors are different depending on their determination, age and inner resources. Research your care recipient's type of stroke. Know what part of the brain was damaged and what that part of the brain controls. The more you know about strokes the better you'll be able to react appropriately to the changes you'll see in your loved one and to become a better caregiver.