Post-stroke care at home – the benefits

Statistics from The Stroke Association indicate that every 5 minutes in the UK alone, someone will suffer from a stroke. This is the equivalent of 100,000 strokes each and every year – and that is just in the United Kingdom. Even for the mildest strokes, in the initial 30-day recovery period after a stroke, an individual will require at least some form of temporary care. And in the case of a more serious stroke with lasting effects, a person could need continual care for the rest of their lives. 

There are a range of options available to people with regards to the type of care that they might need after experiencing a stroke. These include residential care homes, nursing homes or care at home. The Live-in Care Hub – a non-profit organisation provide information about all types of care suitable for stroke sufferers on their website (https://www.liveincarehub.co.uk). L

ive-in care is particularly beneficial for those people who are recovering from a stroke because they can be in the familiar surroundings of their own home and surrounded by their family members and loved ones; and even their pets. This can make a huge difference to the speed of recovery and return to as much normality as possible. 

How does care at home work?

In-home care does not have to be a 24/7 live-in arrangement if you do not feel that is what is required, or what you would like. The service that is offered could simply be used to take up the strain of the main caring duties that are involved for a certain number of hours during the day or night. This might be some degree of personal care, cleaning, grocery shopping and other similar tasks. 

If the recovering stroke patient has more significant medical requirements, then professional care in the home can be provided around the clock. This would includes the previously mentioned general duties but also help getting in and out of bed, washing, dressing and going to the toilet. Help with rehabilitation, medication and trips to medical appointments can also be provided.

When you select a reputable live-in care or home care company, they will provide you with carers who are experienced in working with stroke patients in their own homes. They will have worked with a range of different people who have different care needs so they are entirely flexible to an individual’s specific needs. The service that they provide, therefore, can be adapted to offer exactly what each individual patient needs. 

The benefits of offering this kind of domiciliary care (i.e. professional care in a person’s own home) is that you will be able to access the services of someone who is specialised in their own field, whilst ensuring that your loved one is surrounded by their own belongings and the memories that those things will offer to them. This will provide them with the help they need to recover in familiar surroundings which is what the vast majority of people would prefer, given the choice. 

The carer will be able to devise and implement a dedicated and personalised care plan that works around the emotional and physical needs of the person recovering from a stroke. It will also take account of the stroke patient’s family members who may wish to provide some of the care if they can.

Familiar surroundings

Being in familiar surroundings can be very comforting to those who have suffered a stroke, and this has been shown in various studies to aid their recovery. There is often a fair amount of rehabilitation that they need to undergo, learning to walk or even speak again and the best place for them to undertake this type of therapy is, in fact, in their own home. Of course, providing they are supervised by a professional carer. 

If any of the physical symptoms that someone has suffered as a result of their stroke are likely to be permanent, then a carer can assist in working around this within the home environment as well as suggesting any adaptations that may need to be made to make the home more “user” friendly. By being with the person they care for during extended periods of time the carer will have a good idea of what will work in the house and can assist with recommendations to occupational therapists and other rehabilitation experts.

The way forward

If you believe that your loved one needs additional help following a stroke, then there are several places you can turn to for advice and support. Your doctor will probably be your first port of call and will be able to redirect you to the most appropriate sources of help. This could include speech therapists, occupational therapists, physiotherapists and other experts that might be needed to overcome physical difficulties. But also, there are many support organisations and charities that can help with other issues and a doctor can also help point you in the right direction for these too.

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