Caregiver Questions

I heard from a caregiver who had some important questions regarding her fathers stroke. I've been asked these many times but not all at once. They're perfect questions to ask so here are the questions and my answers.

Q: When you went through your early days of the stroke can you remember how you felt?

Q: What was the best thing that people did for you that helped your recover?

Q: Did you understand what was happening to you at the time?

Q: Did time seem to have gone from the day to day activities?

The very first thing people need to do is to check their sympathies at the door and be there for their loved one with support.

People react differently to events like stroke. They feel panic, sorrow, anger, depression and the list goes on and on. Think of your reaction and how showing it and talking to the survivor with any of those emotions on you sleeve would do to them. Check those at the door.

Caregivers are there to encourage, give a boost to their loved one. Remember you didn't have the stroke, they did. Rooting for they and help with tasks is what they need.

Keep in mind, the hospital is the primary short term recovery. Family and friends are the long term recovery. If you can't handle it take yourself out of the picture but remember expect the same treatment when something happen to you.

In the first couple of days after my brain attack I was in a kind of shock. Trapped inside my head with little way of communicating to anyone. The one advantage I had was I'd been a caregiver for my father and knew what he when through.

I didn't want to go where he went mentally for the next 10 years of his life. At some point a decision had to be made to work on getting better. My Dad gave up every day for 10 years. He waited for nothing and of course nothing came.

On my fourth day I wasn't waiting so I took action. This was my first step on the road to restoring my health.

It is not unusual to feel lost in time. The brain has had a shock, dazed and confused 5 minutes seems like an hour. Time is hard to gauge. When someone says it's lunch the survivor might not realize what time of day it is.

This may disappear on it's own but if not caregivers need to step in teaching the survivor the basics. Night or day, morning or afternoon and even reading a clock by the bedside.

I hope this helps not only the person who asked but all those reading this who also needs some answers.




What's he thinking when he can't talk?

How'd he rewire past the damage?

Jim planned his own recovery.

Read the story.

Return from Caregiver to Recovery




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