Contents:
- Medical Video: Minor stroke captured on video: Watch as it happens
- Cleanse yourself
- Bath
- Dress up
- Eat
- Acting
Medical Video: Minor stroke captured on video: Watch as it happens
When you care for someone who is recovering from a stroke, one of your main goals is to help him become independent again. The following list can help you.
Cleanse yourself
If you help brush your teeth, choose a toothbrush with a long handle, and a toothpaste tube with a flip lid.
Make care tools and bottles easier to take or use with one hand. In addition, you can move soap and other liquids into bottles that can be held and opened in the same hand.
Electric shavers will be safer than manual razors.
Bath
Using a tub is harder and more challenging than taking a shower using a shower. But if you have to use a tub, place a special chair on the edge of the tub so he can sit during the bath. For security, a bathtub or shower must have a handle and a non-slippery floor.
Make sure the wheelchair brakes work and the footrest is pushed aside from the road before you help him move to the bath chair. Give him time. If he wants to take a bath himself, keep a close watch to prepare if he needs help.
Prepare all toiletries before he starts taking a shower. A long-handled brush can make body scrubbing easier. He can wear a towel and slippers that are not slippery after bathing so that he does not need to be dried with a towel. Give a lotion to keep the skin from drying out.
Dress up
If you help him get dressed, tell him what you are doing so you don't surprise him. If he is dressed himself, prepare his clothes and let him sit while wearing clothes. Provide support for wearing socks and shoes. He must use strong arms to put clothes on the weak side first, and to remove clothes from the weak side first.
Dressing will be easier for stroke sufferers if they wear loose clothing from soft fabrics, strapless shoes, elastic belts, and earrings and patches.
Eat
If swallowing or chewing is a problem, try smoothing food or preparing soft foods such as mashed potatoes, eggs, cheese, and soup. Try nutritious drinks and liquid supplements if you don't eat enough.
Provide tableware that can help. If he has difficulty using ordinary equipment, try giving a fork and knife with a larger handle, and rubber pads to hold the plate.
When you prepare food, follow the dietary advice from the health team if he needs to lose weight or reduce cholesterol or blood pressure.
Acting
You may not need to help him do daily exercise, but stay close to him. He may need you if he has difficulty reading or remembering how to do the exercises that the therapist teaches.
Playing cards, memory games, crosswords, and other puzzles to help remember abilities and thinking skills.
Put music on the right side of the body (the opposite side of brain damage), so that he can improve his listening ability. The computer may have colorful visual images that also attract attention, making the healthy side of the body more sensitive.
Healing from stroke requires time and patience. Progress can occur for one month, one year, or more. As the person who cares for it, you can help by continuing to wish for the best for the people you love, solve problems, and find new ways of doing things.
