Your senior may already be concerned about whether she might have a stroke, so it’s important to learn as much as you can about this health condition. If you and your senior haven’t already, it’s a good idea to talk about what she wants in the event that she does have a stroke.
Strokes Mean Blood Flow Stopped in Your Senior’s Brain
The simplest definition of a stroke is that the blood flowing through your senior’s blood vessels in her brain got interrupted in some way. Throughout the body, blood carries oxygen. That oxygen is crucial for cells to continue to function and that’s even more vital in the brain. If a stroke is mild, it might only affect a tiny part of your senior’s brain. Larger strokes happen because they affect a larger area or the brain was without oxygen for a longer period of time.
Stroke Symptoms
Your senior might not get much warning that a stroke is imminent because they can happen very quickly. She might suddenly start to slur her words or she might mention a sudden headache. For an outside observer, the more visible signs might be a slackening of one side of the face or body. Women in particular might faint, have trouble breathing, or experience sudden weakness.
Talk to Your Senior’s Doctor about Reducing Her Risk
Your senior’s doctor is her best source of information about her current stroke risk and how she can avoid having a stroke. Your senior’s stroke risk is highest if she’s a smoker, if she has uncontrolled high blood pressure, or if she’s extremely sedentary. If she has a family history of strokes, that’s a red flag, too. Making lifestyle changes can help your elderly family member to greatly reduce the likelihood that she might have a stroke, so it’s worth exploring what changes she should be making.
After a Stroke
If your elderly family member does have a stroke, it’s vital to get help right away. The faster that she gets medical attention, the more likely she is to have a better recovery. Depending on the severity of the stroke, your elderly family member may need a lot of extra help. Elderly care providers are an excellent choice because they know exactly how to make your senior’s life easier while she’s recovering.
If you and your senior can prevent a stroke at all, that’s obviously the better option.
IF YOU OR AN AGING LOVED ONE IS CONSIDERING ELDERLY CARE IN SUMMERLIN, NV, PLEASE CONTACT THE CARING STAFF AT GOLDEN HEART SENIOR CARE OF SUMMERLIN. 702-800-4616.