Caregivers and Families

[dstraugh]

obtained from NSA website:

 

Caregivers and Families

 

Nearly 5 million people in the United States today have survived a stroke, affecting 4 out of 5 American families.

 

Caring for a stroke survivor can be stressful.

 

You may be concerned that:

 

your loved one will have another stroke

you or your loved one won't be able to accept the changes caused by the stroke

the stroke survivor in your life might be placed in a nursing home

you aren't prepared to face the responsibility of caring for a stroke survivor

friends and family will abandon you

 

You are not alone! These concerns are common to many stroke survivors and their caregivers.

 

As a caregiver, you can take steps to make the transition from hospital to home easier on everyone:

 

Try to encourage as much independence as possible

Allow your loved one to make decisions

Support participation in leisure activities

Try to take an occasional break from caregiving

Ask for help from family, friends or community organizations

[lisas]

Wow!!! 4 out of 5 families affected by stroke. Those statistics are absolutely amazing, considering I knew nothing myself about stroke until my daughter had one. Everyone needs to be educated on stroke and their devastaing affects starting even in the school systems. Each and every hospital also needs more education, considering there are still hospitals and doctors out there that don't even catch the warning signs.

 

Interesting read, thanks Donna

[dstraugh]

Lisa,

 

The statistics are staggering aren't they? It's amazing how unaware people are with regard to stroke. Of course, I was too to an extent before I experienced one. We can only hope, in the future, that awareness increases so that less individuals experience stroke and, through research, recovery can be more advanced and effective.