How to Help Your Elderly Loved One Recover after a Stroke

By Andy Niska | January 20, 2017 |

Elder Care in Newport WA

Recovering from a stroke can be a long and exhausting process for your elderly loved one. Having a solid plan in place to help your loved one to deal with the aftereffects and to recover can help quite a bit.

Talk to Her Doctor about Treatment Plans

Start by talking to your loved one’s doctor about the potential treatment options for her. Your loved one’s stroke itself is what will dictate how much physical therapy and other types of treatment she’ll need. Your loved one may need multiple follow up visits in order to check her progress, too. Your loved one’s doctor may be able to share a variety of different treatment options with you, so there may be some decisions that you and your loved one will need to make.

Work with Her Physical Therapist

Physical therapy is likely to be a key component of your loved one’s treatment plan as she recovers from her stroke. Depending on her mobility issues, your loved one’s physical therapist may recommend specific exercises, prescription mobility aids, and other treatments. Many of the exercises may center around strengthening your loved one’s legs and core so that her balance improves.

Adjust Her Diet

Your loved one’s diet may need to change, too. Your loved one’s doctor might even recommend working with a nutritionist if her eating habits need bigger changes. A diet high in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and lean proteins can help your loved one to gain muscle strength and take in the nutrients she needs to heal and to grow stronger.

Make Sure She Has Appropriate Footwear, Even at Home

The risk of falling is tremendous for loved ones recovering from a stroke. The rest of her treatment plan can help to minimize this risk, but it’s also important that your loved one has the right footwear, especially at home. Make sure that your loved one has comfortable, flat shoes with a sturdy sole. They need to fit properly and serve as a stable foundation so that she can trust her footing.

Once you have a solid plan in place, it’s important to make your loved one’s other family members and elder care providers aware of the details so they can help her follow it.

If you or an aging loved one are considering in-home elder care in Newport, WA, please contact the friendly staff at Love at Home Senior Care, today. Call (509) 204-4088

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Andy Niska

Owner at Love In Home Senior Care

Andy has over 20+ years experience in the medical community and has a true compassion for seniors. With a degree in Health Care Administration, he developed a background in a variety of health care services that only comes from first hand experience. While working as a manager of a large clinic and as an account executive for medical suppliers. Andy has built valuable relationships with the medical community.

His role in Love In Home Senior Care is to educate people on what care choice is the best fit for the senior and their family while attempting to make this decision as stress-free as possible for everyone involved.

This decision making process should be smooth and stress free for everyone, including all family members and their loved ones. Having access to people with experience (like the team at Love In Home Senior Care) to assist you along the way can help this process. With an extensive background in health care, Andy has the experience needed to guide and direct your loved one to the choice that is the best fit.