Caring for someone who has had a stroke will likely be a challenge, depending on the severity of the stroke, and the expected long-term repercussions that will be associated with it. For the there are some side effects that you may not think about that could be directly the result of the stroke, regardless of whether it was a major stroke or a minor one.
The first potential side effect that you might not expect from a stroke is that the senior will begin to act inappropriately at times. This could include anything, such as laughing when it’s not called for, crying out of the blue, even when they are having a good time, or saying something about a topic unrelated to what is being discussed at the moment.
This is a neurological disorder that can stem from a stroke. The best thing that the caregiver could do for the senior in this situation is to be patient. That can be extremely difficult if they are laughing, for example, when something bad has happened or when they home care provider is mentioning some unwanted news.
Step back, understand that the stroke could have affected some aspect of the brain, and that could be causing this behavior. The home care provider should not take this personally for any reason.
The second potential side effect that you may not expect when it comes to a stroke is that they could have trouble sleeping through the night. If the patient had little trouble falling asleep, or sleeping soundly throughout the night before they had the stroke, but are showing signs of problems with this aspect of their life now, this could be the result of some new breathing problems.
It might not have anything to do directly with neurological issues. The circadian rhythms that the person had before the stroke (the time that they sleep, the time that their body and mind expects to sleep, and so on) could be out of rhythm afterward. This could also cause them to be more fatigued during the day at times when they would normally be fine.
It is good to be aware of some of the potential unknown side effects of a stroke. The more that the caregiver knows, the more well equipped he or she will be to assist the senior in their daily routine.
If you have a loved one who could benefit from caregiving services near Concord CA, contact the caregivers at Hillendale Home Care. We help seniors and their families with many levels of home care service. Call (925) 933-8181 for more information.
