[Closed] Stroke Support

Hi Mate, I really hope your mum recovers as much as possible.  My mum (84) had a stroke during the first lockdown, so we had the additional concern of her going into hospital when it was packed to the rafters with Covid patients.  Initially she was partly paralysed and had very slurred speech.  She had great support when she first came out of hospital from occupational health and physios.  We moved her bed downstairs and she had to use a walking frame and wheel chair.  But, she really plugged away at the physio and has made an almost full recovery.  There are some lingering mental health issues - she get a lot more anxiety than she used to, but on the whole she has made a remarkable recovery and we are very grateful.

I liaised a lot with the stroke clinic at the local hospital and occupational health at social services.  My dad is still around, but is not in great health so for a while I moved in with my parents to help with care.  Social services and the care visitors were superb.  There are some benefits she can claim to help with care.  Carers allowance etc. but social services can advise. Best of luck and fingers crossed for the best outcome.

Try the Stroke Association https://www.stroke.org.uk/finding-support

Fingers crossed for a good recovery.

From my experience of it, don't assume too much straight away - a stroke can be mild just as much as it can be serious. My dad had one and fully recovered with the help of rehab. physio (so much so that a year on you would never have even known he'd had one). Unfortunately that wasn't what eventually got him 🙁

Sorry to hear it not nice.

I think you need to speak with your Dad about what the medics have said is the severity of the stroke? I assume it is still no visiting at the minute?

May well be worth ringing the hospital after you have spoken to your Dad to see if you can hear direct from the medics.

Only then worry about what the future holds. Just be there for your Dad for now.

Sorry to hear she’s going through this.

Already linked to above, but the Stroke Association would be a simple first step for contacting. There helpline number is here https://www.stroke.org.uk/finding-support/stroke-helpline

I’m making some assumptions here based on another organisation, but that helpline should be there for family and friends as well as those that have had a Stroke.

At the very least they should be able to help you understand what to expect and guidance on how to manage challenges as they come along. That should include NHS services as well.

You will hopefully have a support group nearby too, these can be great if you can get to them. Having a group experiencing the same, or similar things can provide a support network that understands. I’ve met some people that helped an awful lot just by limiting the sense of isolation they found themselves in so well worth looking at.

Hopefully you caught it in time. Long recovery period.

SIL and FIL didn't pick up on the signs when MIL had a fall. Left it a day or two before going to hospital. We weren't even told. She walked in, but didnt walk out. Permanent disability down her right side, been like that a good 15 years now.

Fast treatment is the key. Stroke Association worth speaking too, and Social Services as your mum may need assistance when she comes out. Your dad can't do it all. They can help getting aids into the home to assist on mobility.

From my experience of it, don’t assume too much straight away – a stroke can be mild just as much as it can be serious.

This.

My mum had a stroke years ago. It was beyond terrifying. All I can really say is, don't jump to conclusions, give it time. She made what is for all practical purposes a full recovery, but it took a while.

I am going through this OP with an elderly parent right now. Same type of stroke from what you have described.

Likewise it was a shock too, for all concerned despite it happening before. As others have said, don't jump to any conclusions. My dad has had a series of bleeds on the brain spanning maybe 5 years, they haven't had any long term effect and in fact the consultant attending the last one said that it is possible to have one and not even know - only with a scan can they be sure.

The stroke.org website is a good place to start and familiarise yourself with the different types of stroke, where they occur and why. A basic understanding made things a whole lot less stressful, especially when talking to medical staff and hearing the terminology used. Likewise with understanding the meds available and why they are used/not used. In my dads case a number of co-morbidities complicated things a lot, but getting a bit of knowledge really helped understand why his medication was changed. Also the NHS website is a good go to for getting the low down on drugs and basic facts etc

Sadly strokes are very common, more so among women than men. The outlook can be really good though so plenty of reason to be positive

It is very easy to get very stressed so try your best not to, especially when contacting the hospital for updates. Due to covid it has been exceptionally hard to speak to staff as they are under so much pressure, so prepare yourself for long waits for someone to answer the phone.

Thanks all for the replies. I am now with my Dad and I think our 8 month old and my brother's 1 week old is keeping him distracted.
It appears time for recovery is key here and working on the physio and OT side of things.

My mum is apparently sedated, confused and struggling to work out what is going on. But...much improved from yesterday. Her speech is better. They are still assessing her and they did say they are unsure the long term impact at present, but the blood will dissipate.

One visitor at a time at the hospital and only for an hour. Going to head in Friday and ask questions. I'll also take a look at those sites everyone suggested. It's a lot to take in, but family is rallying around.

Thanks all again for replies, it does mean a lot and shows what a great place this is for help, advice, support etc.

Hi,

I don't have much to add to the good advice from other's here, but I would echo that you need to take some time to how mild or severe this is.

Both my father and my father-in-law had strokes in the past few years with very different levels of severity. My father suffered from some loss of confidence for a few months after his, but once on medication recovered well and ended up travelling far and wide on his own in recent years (against my advice!)

There is a lot of good help out there, I'd call on the free resources first, but there are also excellent, though expensive, private options too. We have used an organisation called Hobbs based around Petersfield / Liphook.

In the meantime I can only wish you all the best. Please continue to reach out for help as it is hard to know where to turn sometimes.