Who Can Offer Stroke Survivors Support

By Tia Cashen


Stroke survivors have a lot to contend with. Depending on the extent of the brain that has been affected, they might have to relearn some of the very basic things that people know. Other times, part of their body has lost its function, and in worst scenarios they do not even remember their own family members.

The victims and those caring for them do not have to face this situation alone. There are a lot of materials that give helpful information on this subject, you can consult books on stroke for example. It is important to gain enough knowledge on this disease so that you are better prepared to face recovery.

The process of recovering is very long and possibly arduous. Treatment goal is for the patient gain as much independence as he can. While it will be hard for him to be healthy, he can still achieve optimum wellness in the physical, emotional, spiritual, social, and mental aspects.

Rehabilitation is to begin as soon as the patient is stabilized and it continues on for a long time. There may be ups and downs through the process and so a regression in the patient's condition should not be cause for abandoning treatment altogether. That is the just the way things are in the healing process.

Patient rehabilitation is a team effort. The leader of the team is the doctor and there may be more or less members depending on the gravity of the patient's condition and his tolerance to treatment. The usual members of the healthcare team is the nutritionist, counselor, physical therapist, occupational therapist, rehabilitation nurse, and the speech therapist.

As important, if not more, is the support team of the patient at home, these are the people who are always with the patient and thus, they have a greater effect on them. This includes family members and friends of the victim. They are there to provide the stroke victim support.

It is a given that the victim should be understood. They may have feelings of helplessness, fear, and denial. Thus they could become very difficult to deal with. Times like this, the caregiver could feel ineffective and unmotivated. Caring for such patient could take a toll on the primary care giver. Hence, they too, should have support groups.

Stroke survivors and the people around them must work together to reach the goals of treatment. They have to lean on each other for moral support. Knowledge of the condition and treatment outcomes will be very beneficial to all concerned for they can prepare for whatever problems they may encounter.




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