After a stroke, your senior loved one may not need to go to a rehab facility but they also may have certain problems caused by the stroke that make it necessary for them to have care at home. Home health care services are the best option for seniors who have potentially serious health conditions that were caused by a stroke. Having skilled nursing care at home will allow your senior parent to be comfortable in their familiar home as they recover from the stroke.
Home health care can help seniors who suffer from stroke damage like:
Problems swallowing (dysphagia)
Seniors who have dysphagia because of a stroke may need help eating and drinking to make sure that they are able to get enough to eat and drink. They also may need to have a skilled nurse with them in case they choke or vomit because they can’t swallow properly. Seniors with dysphasia can develop pneumonia from inhaling food particles and liquids into their lungs so it’s important that they have skilled nursing care to prevent that.
Paralysis
Many seniors suffer from paralysis after a stroke. Sometimes the paralysis is limited to one part of the body or even just hands or feet. But paralysis can affect a senior’s ability to get around the house, bathe and dress, and do other activities of daily living. Having home health care lowers the chances that seniors who are paralyzed will fall or injure themselves at home.
Sensory Awareness
Sometimes after a stroke seniors have an inability to feel stimuli and they are numb to things like pain, the urge to empty their bladders or bowels, hunger, or thirst. Skilled nursing care ensures that your senior loved one will be getting their basic needs met in a professional and compassionate way when they can’t recognize or communicate those needs.
Aphasia
Aphasia, or language impairment, is also very common among stroke victims. They may be unable to speak or communicate with language. They also may not understand spoken language. With skilled nursing care, the nurse will be able to monitor your senior loved one’s vital signs and condition to make sure they are healthy and recovering even if your senior loved one can’t communicate what they are experiencing.
Rehabilitation with Home Health Care
Rehab exercises and physical therapy are very important for stroke survivors. Doing daily physical therapy and prescribed rehab exercises can help your senior parent regain their mobility and the use of their body that was taken from them by the stroke. With a home health care aide, your senior parent will be able to do their rehab and physical therapy exercises at home so that they don’t need to be taken out of the house to physical therapy appointments. Your senior parent can recover with dignity in the comfort of their home while their medical condition is monitored by a medical professional. That will give you and your senior parent peace of mind after a harrowing experience.