Supporting A Stroke Survivor At Home

With nearly 800,000 strokes happening each year in the United States, there is a possibility that someone you know has also faced a stroke. The effects of a stroke can truly impact a person's quality of life, even requiring additional care to regain lost abilities.

Still, even after regaining some of their lost abilities, support at home is crucial to help loved ones who may be regaining mobility through the house avoid injuries.

Crystal Davis, OT, an occupational therapist with Franciscan Health, explains how you can support your loved ones at home when they are recovering from a stroke.

What Are The Main Limitations A Stroke Survivor Will Have When They Return Home?

Strokes often result in disabilities, with the most common surrounding speech, understanding and overall body weakness.

"The main limitations of a stroke survivor depend on what type of stroke they had and what part of the brain was affected," Davis said.

Davis explained that stroke survivors can have deficits following their stroke. Some of these conditions may include:

• Muscle weakness or partial paralysis
• Loss of speech or understanding of speech
• Loss of muscle coordination
• Cognitive impairments
• Visual impairments

How Can I Prepare My Home For A Stroke Survivor?

With the several disabilities that can follow a stroke, you'll need to prepare your home for your loved one to have a smooth transition from hospital care and rehab back to home.

"The best way to prepare your home for a successful transition for stroke survivors is to modify it to increase the overall safety of your loved one," Davis said.

Davis explained how you can modify several areas of your home to keep stroke survivors functioning with confidence when they return.

Bathroom

Bathroom modifications can help prevent slipping and aid balance. These include:

• Shower chair
• Grab bars near the toilet and the shower
• Handheld shower head
• Raised toilet seat
• Toilet safety frame
• Non-slip mats

Bedroom

Davis explained that prioritizing entering the bed and providing alternatives to moving to different areas of the house is essential for some stroke survivors.

"Consider bedroom modifications such as railings for the bed, a hospital bed if needed, or a Hoyer lift if they're not able to transfer in and out of the bed on their own," Davis said. "It may be necessary to have a bedside commode if they're not able to actually ambulate to the bathroom on their own in the middle of the night."

Living Room

For the living room, it's crucial to remove or relocate anything that could be a tripping hazard, such as extension cords or soft rugs on smooth wooden flooring. Davis also mentioned installing motion-activated nightlights in the area.

Kitchen

"Good lighting is essential for the kitchen, especially if loved ones returning home have vision problems," Davis said. "A seated workspace for the kitchen can also be helpful. Make sure these chairs are not really low and have armrests because it'll be easier to transfer in and out of them."

Doors, Stairs And Ramps

Regarding doorways and stairs, Davis suggested confirming equipment such as walkers and wheelchairs can fit through your home's doorways. If not, taking the door off the hinges can help with the width of the doorway for equipment to pass through.

"Also consider installing a ramp if the one returning home is wheelchair-bound," Davis said. "It's also important for all of the stairs have railings. Doing so can help increase the quality of life and overall safety of your loved one. Still, not everyone will need all this equipment or home modifications. It truly just depends on the severity of the stroke."

How Long Will A Stroke Survivor Need Assistance At Home After Inpatient Rehab?

People may wonder how long their loved ones will need assistance from equipment while at home or if it may impact the progress of further recovering their lost abilities.

"The assistance a stroke survivor may need at home truly depends on the severity of the stroke," Davis said. "Some are able to fully recover, whereas others will have lifelong deficits."

Davis explained that neuroplasticity is the brain's ability to rewire itself over time. When someone has a stroke, some of the connections in their brain can become damaged. Even so, if you perform exercises, walk, talk, and continue to get stronger, the brain will eventually rewire itself with new and healthy connections.

"When it comes to a stroke, I'll always say if you don't use it, you lose it," Davis said. "The most important thing that you can do is keep pushing so that your brain can continue to make those healthy connections."

Should A Stroke Survivor Continue Outpatient Rehab After Returning Home?

"Just because the patient has completed their inpatient rehab program does not mean that therapy is finished altogether," Davis said. "Depending on the severity of the stroke, we might even recommend a temporary subacute rehabilitation stay, which is home therapy if the patient has difficulty getting in and out of the house."

Completion of inpatient rehab doesn't necessarily mean that the patient is done healing.

"Even after inpatient rehab, having patients continue therapy and working on the home exercise program provided by their physical, occupational and speech therapists is essential towards their recovery," Davis said.

Outpatient therapy pushes patients to be more active by getting in and out of the house, along with available equipment that can assist the recovery process.

Davis also explained that it's essential for the patient's family to understand their loved one’s stroke, its related deficits and the recovery process. Before the patient is discharged from inpatient rehab, families may participate in family training, where they'll learn several ways to work with their loved one's deficits. These areas can include:

• Transferring their loved ones
• Using a gait belt
• Performing passive range of motion
• Education on the positioning of their extremity if they need to use a splint
• Sleep positioning
• Putting on an orthosis
• Using equipment such as a cane or rolling walker to ambulate

"When it comes to a loved one facing a stroke, it's so important to make sure that you're well-educated on everything that's going on," Davis said. "Know about how specific equipment works and the resources available for care. It can be a difficult process, so also consider your own health as a caregiver. You don't want to bring your health down trying to take care of your loved one. Prioritize good order and support so you can lift each other up."

In addition, Davis encourages families to learn the signs of a stroke.

"It's crucial for families to understand the signs of a stroke, because once a patient has had one, they'll be at a higher risk of having another," Davis said. "Families should work to get their loved one to a hospital as soon as possible if they do notice signs of a stroke."