Caring for a parent after a stroke at home: a family guide

Recovery is usually fastest in the first few months after a stroke, but improvement can continue for much longer with regular practice. Starting rehabilitation early and keeping it going both matter.

Expect tiredness. Fatigue after a stroke is very common and can last for months. Short spells of activity spread through the day work better than one long session.

The shoulder on the weak side is easily injured, because the muscles that hold it in place are not working well. Never pull on the weak arm to help someone move, and do not lift them under the armpits.

When your parent is sitting, rest the weak arm on a pillow or armrest so it does not hang down. In bed, place a pillow so the arm rests comfortably forward. Shoulder pain after a stroke is common, and preventing it is much easier than treating it.

Change position regularly to protect the skin and joints, especially if your parent cannot move much on their own. Lying on the weak side, with the shoulder brought slightly forward, is fine and helps them feel that side. Sitting upright in a chair for meals and part of the day is better than staying in bed.

It is natural to want to help with everything. But the brain recovers through practice, and every task done for your parent is a missed chance to practise. Give them time to dress, eat or stand with as little help as is safe, and encourage them to use the weak arm in daily tasks.

Your parent's physiotherapist will set specific exercises for the arm and hand, sitting balance, standing, walking and getting up from a chair. Repetition drives recovery, so practice between sessions matters as much as the sessions themselves.

Once they have been shown how, family members are often the best people to help with this practice.

Depression after a stroke is common and can slow recovery. Signs include loss of interest, tearfulness, poor sleep and not wanting to do exercises. Tell their doctor, because it can be treated.

Some people have trouble with speech, understanding, memory or attention. Speak slowly, give one instruction at a time and allow extra time for answers. A speech therapist can help with communication and swallowing problems.

Call 108 or 112 immediately for a new drooping face, new weakness in an arm or leg, new difficulty speaking, a sudden severe headache, sudden loss of vision or sudden confusion. A second stroke is a medical emergency. Also see a doctor for fever, chest pain, breathlessness, a swollen painful calf or new difficulty swallowing.