Strokes change lives. About one-third of people who have a stroke are left with physical and mental disabilities.
A stroke can have a profound effect on individuals and their families. Caring for someone who has had a stroke can often be physically and emotionally demanding.
If you or someone you care for has had a stroke, you’ll want to know what practical, emotional and financial support is available.
Recovery from a stroke begins in hospital. A stroke team will work out a plan of care for each individual to help them return home when the time is right.
“A stroke is a massive shock to the system,” says Carole Pound, acting chief executive of stroke charity UK Connect.
Key to recovery
Information and continuing support after returning home are important for a good recovery. “In hospital, patients typically have access to a lot of information and support, but at home that expertise is no longer instantly accessible,” says Carole.
Once a person who has had a stroke is stable, the stroke team will work out a recovery plan that may involve some kind of rehabilitation adapted to the person’s needs.
A stroke can cause:
- paralysis or loss of muscle control
- communication difficulties
- blurred vision or loss of sight
- problems with thinking, memory and concentration
- depression, anxiety and extreme tiredness
Rehabilitation will help you regain as much independence as possible. You will relearn skills that you have lost and learn new ones to adapt to any permanent disabilities.
The stroke team will help you on your road to recovery as soon as you're admitted into a hospital stroke unit, and will provide for your long-term care.
The stroke team
The stroke team can include the following people:
Physiotherapist
Physiotherapy is used to treat balance problems, paralysis or muscle weakness. The physio can develop exercises to improve your strength, movement and posture.
Occupational therapist
The aim of occupational therapy is to improve your ability to carry out everyday tasks, such as washing, dressing, going out and returning to work.
Speech and language therapist
Speech therapy will help if you have problems with swallowing, talking, reading and writing. It can also help others who need to communicate with you.
GP
Once you're discharged from hospital, your GP will have overall responsibility for your medical care and can refer you to other services to help with your specific needs.
Nurse
As well as nurses in medical units, community nurses may be involved in your medical care and may help you practise what you've learned with the various therapists.
Clinical psychologist
Psychologists can help if you have problems with thinking, or if you have emotional problems brought on by the extreme and unexpected changes.
Social worker
Hospital and local council social workers can assess your own and your carer’s needs and can help you access services, such as meals-on-wheels, equipment, home care services and, where applicable, state benefits.
For the best long-term recovery, it’s important to get as much support as possible from local health and social services.
Other help
Dietitians, chiropodists or podiatrists (foot experts) and ophthalmologists (eye experts) may also be involved in your rehabilitation and ongoing care.
Voluntary organisations, such as The Stroke Association and Connect, and stroke clubs can help people who have had a stroke, as well as their families.
Returning to an active life can help with the physical and mental recovery. It can stop people who have had a stroke from constantly thinking about their condition.
Return to work
Those who can, go back to work. Three-quarters of younger people who have had a stroke want to return to work, according to The Stroke Association.
In most cases, people who have had a stroke don’t return to work and may find it difficult remaining socially active.
“Many people who have had a stroke say they're bored,” says Carole. “They go out less, they probably no longer work, so they socialise less. This can lead to depression and loss of confidence.”
“Stroke care is about giving the person who has had a stroke more choice and control and not necessarily independence,” says Carole. “Some people may never regain their independence but it's important that they feel in control of their recovery.”
