What To Do If Your Senior is Having a Stroke
With sophisticated medical tests and therapies, seniors over 80 are experiencing better recovery results from strokes than ever before. Although this may be reassuring for you, there may come a time when you witness your parent having a stroke. It’s important to be aware of the signs of stroke, and especially vital for your senior to have help if they have already had a stroke before, like support from home care providers. Here are a few important things to look for if you think your senior might be having a stroke:
Understanding The Signs Of a Stroke
You may start to panic if you have never seen your parent having a stroke, but it will be crucial to remain level-headed. This is not the time to panic. Firstly, you need to know the signs of a stroke before understanding if the senior is having one. Here are the first things to look for:
- Numbness or weakness in the face, arm, or leg that occurs suddenly—particularly on one side of the body
- Sudden disorientation or difficulty speaking or comprehending you
- Sudden difficulty seeing in one or both eyes
- Dizziness, lack of balance or coordination, or difficulty walking all occur suddenly
- Sudden onset of severe headaches for no apparent reason
If a senior is experiencing one or all of these symptoms, it is time to take the first steps to get them help. Keep in mind strokes can be different for every person. Some seniors may experience severe nausea and vomiting, or others will have double vision. Strokes can hit fast, and it is essential to communicate what is happening and get help right away.
What To Do If a Senior Is Having a Stroke
When you know your parent is having a stroke, there are three things you need to do to ensure they get help.
Call 911 Immediately
When you understand the signs of a stroke, which can sometimes be hard to recognize, the first thing you need to do is call 911. You can tell them you are with a loved one who you believe is having a stroke. Try not to stress or scare your parents out but calmly call for an ambulance and assistance.
Look At The Time
You may be super worried about your parents and unable to focus on anything else. However, you will want to note the time the symptoms started occurring, what time you called for help, and keep track of how long things will last. This will help you relay the information to the paramedics who arrive to help.
Always Perform CPR If Necessary
Strokes can be scary, and there may be instances where you need to perform CPR on your loved one. If you live with an older adult, you may want to take classes to understand how to properly do CPR if you have never had to do it.
Following a stroke, it’s important for your senior to have support in their recovery. Home care can be there as much or as little as they need, providing mobility assistance, medication reminders, meal preparation, transportation to doctor and therapy appointments, and more. Enlist the help of home care before your senior even leaves the hospital, so they can hit the road to recovery running.