Life Goes On, The Caregiver

Support is a wonderful thing, knowing that you are not alone and having the chance to "talk" with those who truly understand what you are going through is wonderful. I belong to a fantastic Facebook group for Wives of Stroke Survivors, it is a G-dsend when I am having a difficult time. The administrators of the wonderful Facebook group I belong to started one for children of stroke survivors called  My Parent is a "Stroke Survivor" My Parent is a "Stroke Survivor"   (click link) This is a moderated, private and SAFE place for our youth Here is the group description: This space has been set aside for, YOU, the children of Stroke Surviving Parents. It is a SAFE place for you to share your concerns, heartaches, anger and grief. In addition, please share the good things you experience along this journey that you have found yourself on. Please keep in mind that all posts will be filtered and those containing language or situati...

A friend recently mentioned this term to me and was concerned what it meant for elderly parents and their offspring — especially when there was a possibility of medical bills and long term care. So I did a bit of research and figured this is as good a topic as any, while this is not specific to strokes it covers a wide range of conditions. According to the online Merriam-Webster dictionary, Filial Piety (known as pinyin: xiào in Chinese) is: “ reverence for parents considered in Chinese ethics the prime virtue and the basis of all right human relations ”’ ideally this is not only respecting the parents but also accepting responsibility for them as they age. My friend’s concern was that she could inadvertently put a serious debt onto her children’s shoulders simply because she had given birth to them. So I did a little research… I went to Nolo.com  for information. Here is some of what was said, you can click the link if you want to read it in entirety: “ More than ...

Memory Problems Can be Caused by Stroke Suffering a stroke can impair a person’s memory for weeks, months, or even years. Sometimes, a person evaluated for memory loss is found to have suffered minor strokes they weren’t even aware of, says Mohini Gurme, MD, a neurologist with Rockland Neurological Associates in West Nyack, NY. For Stroke Awareness Month, in May, Dr. Gurme explains why it’s important to get evaluated early for memory loss caused by stroke or other conditions... to continue reading Back to HOME

Extreme mood swings, it is a thing... There is a lot going on in a stroke survivor's mind after a stroke and sometimes the emotional ups-and-downs winds up becoming frustrating and very difficult to cope with for the people around him/her. This is just a personal observation (my mom had a stroke in 1978 and my husband had a stroke in 2016) but from what I hear from other caregivers and my own experience I think women tend to have more emotions and men more anger. As I said I don't have proof of this... I am aware that most men, even in this era, are still raised to be the "strong provider" and suddenly they are dependent on someone else, they often can't go back to work, and they can't even play catch with the family dog. It's frustrating as hell for them and they express their frustration with attitude; so often the target of their angry words is the one person most responsible for them, the wife (or significant other). And no matter how much we un...

National Stroke Awareness Month is an annual event held within the United States. The aim of National Stroke Awareness Month is to make Americans aware that they may be able to ' Save A Life ' of a person experiencing a stroke. Read More... Summary Coverage United States Month May Duration 1 Month Date May 2018 Organization National Stroke Association How Is Date Set?  Fixed: Same Month Each Year Event Page/Website Back to HOME

13 Fun Activities for Stroke Patients That Improve Movement and Brain Power Fun activities for stroke patients are a great way to keep motivation high. If your motivation to recover is getting low, try switching things up by adding some of the following activities to your day. The best part is that these activities double as  i nformal therapy , which means that your brain heals while you’re having fun. Talk about a win-win! Now, let’s get into the list...  ( read more on the Flint Rehab blog )

I road as a (volunteer) N.Y.S. Emergency Medical Technician for nearly 30-years. I dealt with all kinds of emergencies, all ages, and a variety of outcomes (both good and bad). I would have thought I would be fully "professional" when it came to my own husband's stroke... Instead I barely held it together. I was fortunate that I was able to lean on our daughter, son and daughter-in-law (all with EMS experience themselves, but they too were filled with emotions). We were all so fortunate that despite what seemed so frightening that first night, my husband did survive and, just like he has been for the better part of his life, he was determined NOT to be beaten. The two months that he was hospitalized are still a bit of a blur. I remember doing most of the things I had to do like housekeeping, grocery shopping, paying bills and the small amount of work I HAD to get done (thankfully I had understanding editors and a compassionate publisher). And at least six days a week ...

" The  American Stroke Association  is solely focused on  reducing disability and death from stroke." Popular Articles 1  Stroke Family Warmline 2  15 Things Caregivers Should Know After a Loved One Has Had a Stroke 3  What Is an Arteriovenous Malformation (AVM)? 4  What You Should Know About Cerebral Aneurysms 5  Types of Aphasia 6  Hemorrhagic Strokes (Bleeds) 7  Stroke Treatments 8  Brain Stem Stroke 9  Ischemic Strokes (Clots) 10  Difficulty Swallowing After Stroke (Dysphagia) Back to HOME

If you were lucky enough to buy a home to raise a family in you were probably fairly agile and feeling invincible. Now that the family is grown you might be looking to spend your retirement years in the same house with all of your wonderful memories. That was the way we looked at our home, it was the place we were going to raise our children, pay off the mortgage and live out the rest of our days. However several years ago, ironically for a newspaper assignment, I researched and wrote an article on "Aging in Place", I should have memorized my own words. While I was conscious of some of our lovely home's limitations, we just weren't there YET to worry about... but as you read in my intro, medical disaster struck and so long as Mark had to rely on a wheelchair he wasn't able to come home. ( the following applies to private residences — house or apartment ) Believe it or not stairs are an easy obstacle to get around (in many cases) — there are (relatively co...

* this post may be specific to the U.S. and may not apply to countries where universal health care is in effect No matter what your financial situation is, when your loved one (or you) is critical and needs life-saving care, one of the last things you think about is money. After all, you have insurance (hopefully) so it should all be covered, right? Surprise, surprise! Shortly after the emergency room nightmare the bills start coming in and you call the hospital billing office, "Why didn't you bill the insurance company?" That's when it's explained to you that even though the hospital participates in your insurance network not all of the doctors (hospitalists and consultants) or services (like lab-work, etc.) do and your insurance company denied the claim. Yes it seems ridiculous to you, you probably never even requested your own specialists, you probably weren't even consulted as to which specialists where requested by the hospital — and, like me, you...

One of the first things we learned was that everyone is affected differently by stroke and that not everyone will recover completely. The purpose of Rehabilitation is to recover as much as possible AND to learn to manage (activities of daily living) with the level of recovery that is achieved. Ideally stroke rehabilitation will begin within days of the stroke event so long as the patient is stable; sometimes rehabilitation will begin in the hospital where the patient was first treated, other times the patient will be transferred to an acute or sub-acute facility where therapy will be offered to meet the patient's needs and abilities — the doctors at the hospital will best be able to make this determination.  " Acute rehabilitation is appropriate for patients who will benefit from an intensive, multidisciplinary rehabilitation program . " " Sub acute level care is less intensive than acute rehabilitation... a combination of physical, occupational and speec...

What is a Stroke? Blood Flow Blocked in the Brain courtesy of American Heart Association A person can suffer a stroke when blood flow and oxygen are cut-off, cells can die and depending on the area, time and amount of the brain affected will determine the extent of disability. A STROKE is a life-or-death situation and  needs  immediate  medical attention .  Call 911! Common terms to know : Ischemic Stroke  ~ The arteries to the brain become blocked and/or narrowed cutting off blood flow. Hemorrhagic Stroke  ~ The arteries to the brain can rupture and bleed. Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA)  ~ This is a TEMPORARY interruption of blood flow to the brain. Common Signs & Symptoms CAN include : ***Sudden numbness to the extremities, often affecting one side of the body. ***Sudden confusion and difficulty speaking. ***Difficulty walking and/or staying balanced. ***Sudden severe headache. F.A.S.T.   F ACE , Ask the person to ...