TIPS TO TAKE CARE OF STROKE PATIENT - based on 15 years experienced of taking care my paralyzed wife,

TIPS to take care of stroke patient ; based on my experienced taking care of paralyzed wife for 15 years.

 

The tips described in this blog are based on the advice of a doctor and my experience of take care my wife who’s has been paralyzed side of the body (right) over the past 15 years. Wife paralyzed as a result of head surgery in 2001 after she had been in a coma for 3 days due to “Arterio-Venous Malformation” (AVM).

The Tips   mentioned in this article is a method of how kin caregivers can help patients to recover back from stroke. Given the stroke occurs quickly, (without early alert). If that the case most possibility all immediate family will be jump to panic situation. Sometimes at an early stage patients in attack, we will bring the patient to the hospital for emergency treatment, Having been several days (usually more than two weeks) in a hospital ward and the patient's condition is relatively stable, the hospital will ask Family took home the patient to stay at home and follow-up treatment such as physiotherapy clinics and also get repeat treatment in hospital within a specified time.

Based on my experience taking care of a paralyzed wife. On the first day she was discharged from the hospital ward and brought her home, the following actions I've done:

TipS 1: BENEFICIARY IMMEDIATE CHANGES ARE READY TO MIND PARADIGM,

Next of kin must be prepared to make a change in mindset as starting on the day the patient is brought back home, you will be the main person who will care for the stroke patients  requiring intensive help of others in her daily lives basic need.

Our mindset  must be  change in perception that ( wife) who previously became one of the important people in the family were not able to help us anymore. Means starting the day you had to do all the work on your own. (Even more so if your kids are still small).

We  also need to continue the main responsibility (as the husband) to earn a living and to support the family. That mindset should be set that now the workload at home and in the workplace is the responsibility of husband/ caregivers alone. Should be prepared to bear the burden of excessive work within 24 hours of each day. To enable us to meet the challenges of life ahead for a possible over indefinitely, we should supplicate Allah SWT, to be guided to meet the expectation. With God's help us can go through all patience and serenity. To further strengthen our patience go through these trials, should be set in our minds that this is all a test of God to cleanse all our sins in the past, and we must put  hope that if everything is successful, we will be promised heaven in the afterlife.   Insya Allah.

TIPS 2: ENSURE PATIENT MIDICATION DOSE GIVEN BY  SCHEDULE..

We need to ensure patients given medication  dose according to the schedule prescribed by  doctor. To ensure the patient's medication needs to be completed. Have to provide a special diary, bag clocked drugs given to patients. This method can avoid forgetting to give medication to patients. If they are not likely to forget in a diary note to remedy happen and may cause patients possibility be attacked once again by the stroke. Risk of second stroke attacks will cause the curer process to be more complicated treatment and patients will be more severe. Besides hospital medicine, stroke patients may also be given an alternative medicine such as nutrition formula helps to restore the brain's nerve. We must be carefully select  the supplement nutrition  because sometimes it will have side effects, as result it will damage internal organs such as liver, kidney waist, lungs, gallbladder, intestines and so on. My wife takes a table spoonful of olive oil every morning and night (before sleep). Olive oil has been found effectively to control the level of cholesterol  in blood.

TIPS 3: NEED TO ACQUIRE KNOWLEDGE ABOUT CHANGING NATURE OF PATIENT EMOTIONAL AND FEELING.

The person who will  take care of the stroke patient , have to study  some  changes of patient personal and mindset. The most important area of focus is to keep patient emotional feeling in well manageable situation and should avoid any quarrel which can be prolong their bad feeling. The following guide can be associate as a good practice of caring stroke patient.

a. Needs to take care patient emotional and feeling: 

The personal nature of stroke patient some time totally change from their normal life. One of the immediate effect is changes or personnel attitude . The stroke patient will be a talkative, this is because the patient will be so many restricted to move around, so she will asking other to help her. Everything she asked have to completed by time If the helper action very slow, she will done by herself. Other  change is that  she easy to be patient and sensitive, moody and easily cry. . This happens because before the attack by stroke, anything  she can do her own, and she will do it by herself has habitually. When it hurts cause she was not able to do on her own, therefore if patients need something to get help from another person, If the helper take times to fulfill her need, she  will be  easily sensitive whether anger, emotional or cry, therefore we are taking care of patients should be proactive, and ensure all matters required by the patients to be fulfill as soon as possible. Especially during early stage of stroke attack.
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One of the things that is very important is keeping EMOTIONS AND FEELINGS OF PATIENT. Usually in the early stages of a patient suffering from a stroke, her emotions will be disturbed by the thought that her husband will marry another women. So the husband should give confidence to the patient that his love still remains. (as before her illness). This is important for gain confidence and motivation to the patients to recover faster. With confidence she will be adopted with positive attitude, this thing if not taken care of it will feel herself in deviate due to illness and has been disabled. When this situation occurs, the patient will be thinking negatively. Thus will be effect to the process of recover the illness. To faster recovery of illness the patient mind must be positively developed and help by kindness of helper to sustain their happiness. The sole of patient will be strongly influence the recovery process.

b. Patients should undergo physiotherapy / traditional massage.

Physiotherapy treatment is one way of treatment recommended by doctors for patients recovering from stroke. Some forms of exercise will be given to the patient by physiotherapist. Training to move the limb through physiotherapy will help patients to recover any weak nerves returned functions as normal.  undergo physiotherapy training will takes a relatively long time (usually takes 6 months or even longer) to recover.

In addition physiotherapy  treatment, traditional massage treatments are also very important, my experience treating wife found traditional massage can restore much quicker to recover if compare  with physiotherapy, However, be careful spills right masseur right skilled. for the comfort of the patient need to find artisans Massage of the same sex (female-female; male-male). This is important because during the massage session it involves all parts of the body. For my wife masseur is a village midwife with a certificate of recognition from a government hospital. Time sequence for 3-4 hour session once a week. My wife took more than six months for him to recover and can walk slowly. The sequence for the frequency of once a month to do for over 2 years. Now the sequence only when necessary. In the case of traditional massage with my wife masseur, has made ​​our relationship too friendly to the extent that we assume to be the masseur relative. Our relationship continued until now that has taken more than 14 years.

TIPS 4:. MAKE SURE PATIENTS PERFORM THEIR PRAYER ACCORDINGALY AND BUY RELIGIOUS BOOKS FOR HER READING,

Primary caregiver to assist the patient to pray without fail 5 times a day (it is very important to give personal confident that her sickness giving by God to clear her past sin). To make it easier for patients to be at the right time to allow a one-time programmable ablution can be used for prayers twice, for instance - zohor solah time at the end of time and Asr prayers at the beginning of time, Maghrib and Isha final time in the early hours. Morning prayer can be in the beginning or at the end of time, according to the ability of the patient to wake up.

In addition patients can be taught how to pray forenoon, tahjjud prayers, prayers of repentance , prayer wishes, praying Witir at late night and various other prayers. When patients spend a lot of time for prayer.. That means they are getting closer to God. God willing, it will be calm soul. People who are close to God, when she sought the help of God, she easily gets the pleasure of Allah. God willing.

Religious books should also be given to stroke patients from time to time. Because patient have a lot of free time, with multiply reading religious books, it will provide an understanding of religion teach. It can improve the understanding of religious that to be practiced daily. It will change the minds set of patients, particularly to assure that chronic pain given by God to someone is one of the ways of God to remove our sins of the past. If we are patient and pleased to receive it, we will get very many rewards in the afterlife and provided a haven full of enjoyment.

From my experience, my wife of a paralyzed now been changed to Multiply the circumcision of worship such as prayer, prayers, forenoon, isyarak, circumcision dawn, prayers tahajud etc. She  also has a lot of zikir after prayers and also was   interested to recite the Quran every day. To facilitate the Quran reading  I bought  to my wife a set of  Quran Pen Reader.  By the helped of the set she able to recite Quran fluently. Thus situation make her very happy to recite Quran when she has a free time. By reading Quran it calm the mind.  Alhamdulillah. books related to the practice of reading the Quran and prayers for healing diseases should also be purchased to be read and applied by the patient. Islamic treatment method also has benefits to cure stroke.

TIPS 5:  PROGRAM SCHEDULE TO ENABLE THE PATIENT EXERCISE, SOCIAL AND SHOPPING.

We also need to arrange the time schedule so that patients can exercise (walking with the stroller), go to the resort, and shopping. If such schedule will enable patients to enjoy the situation recreation, picnics and shopping together with other families, it will give patients confident mind that he is also able to carry out various activities such as healthy people as well. I find this method greatly affects the recovery of the patient's mind to give a new determination that she can live as healthy people, When the mind has to be recovered perception about life it will help to heal faster stroke pain.

Social activities may also reduce patient stress (because of the  paralyze will feel stress when she was just sitting in bed around the clock 24 hours). Stress management is important to prevent the patient suffered from a depressive illness. My experience managing paralyzed wife of nearly 15 years, these activities can help instil confidence to my wife, when she has  paralyzed early days, her  attitude changed into a very humble and ashamed to socialize in public. She often brought to the place of the public mall for shopping, picnic and play and visit family and friends, little by little negative tough can be reduced. After more than 14 years she was paralyzed. She now fully recover her confident to leave as normal person.

TIPS 6: IMMEDIATE FAMILY TO BE GIVEN INFORMATION AND UNDERSTANDING OF STROKE PATIENTS.

All patient immediate family should be given an understanding of stroke patient. They has to Informed that stroke patients attitude has totally change compared to their attitude before attack by stroke. When all the family understands about keeping taboos-patient stroke. It will help to reduce the patient from been stress. If all the family members will give hope to patients they can be cured, The level of confident of stroke  patient will be higher and thus  will help patient to heal faster and live in a state of joy.

On the other hand, if the majority of kin  do not take care  of patient and  said that the patient  to bring bad luck and trouble to the family, this cause the patient to become more stressful and can lead to second stroke attack .. Usually when the patient were attack for the second time it was more severe and potentially fatal will happen.

TIPS 7: PLAN A HEALTY NUTRATION FOR STROKE PATIENT.

Doctors advise patients fed with vegetables and white meat. Try to eat less red meat. Multiply the number of fish meal as a protein source. Vegetarian diet can reduce cholesterol in the blood that can help to cure stroke pain. Vegetables can also control blood pressure in the early stages of attack stroke patients should be given soft foods easily digestible as rice porridge, vegetables, water and so on.

Patients are encouraged to drink plenty of water, if possible given the zam-zam water to drink a lot of nutritional value. Zam-zam water is the best water in the world, has the gift of high pH and other minerals needed by the human body.

TIPS 8: SETTING CHECK BLOOD AT LEAST TWICE A YEAR.

Blood tests should be performed periodically to find out in more detail the contents of the blood, blood type, and potential diseases will we based on the structure blood, blood type and condition of the blood sugar.

TIPS 9: SHOW YOUR LOVE warmth and still remains the same:

Stroke patients will assume partner has started to change love her, she has a physical disability that cause her husband would find another woman to get the love and affection of many other women. This is natural for stroke patients thought that her husband would be taken by another woman.  this cause her will be left alone. 

As husband and wife are responsible to the family, should always keep company  his wife and tried to give love and affection in a way that romance like during our honeymoon period when first married. This action is required in the early stages the patient having a stroke, Once we can convince herself that the love and affection we still have not changed, then she will be less likely to think about it. My personal experience, to create a situation of trust, we treat it accurately wife almost five years. Provided we shall always be with her and always  expressing affection and love him every day

TIPS 10: VACATION PLANS - honeymoon

planning honeymoon-style vacation at least once a year, is an action that can enhance the atmosphere of love and conjugal affection. For the wife who had a stroke, when the husband brings back will pose noticed he still cherished by her husband. This will bring the 'flash-back' during the honeymoon after marriage first. This exciting experience will be a catalyst for the recovery of stroke patients mind. Our experience during this holiday cheerful wife saw it and gradually be able to give confidence to survive despite the physically he has become as a disabled. During the holidays alone with this, her husband always be available the side of his wife and is willing to help, will increase the confidence of a wife whose husband is of course a very faithful to the promise of love and affection for them. When the sick instinct to give confidence and clarify honesty and loyalty to her husband ... It can give confidence to the patient (wife) to survive and be able to convince yourself that stroke patients "tomorrow is another day". activities arranged by the husband to give pleasure to patient like the honeymoon is going to give a boost of excitement and also speeds up the recovery of patients, patients will be able to accept the fact that now he classified site as disabled, but able to live a happy life like everyone else. 

TIPS: 11 - MODIFIED  BATHROOM. 

To keep stroke patient safety, the equipment in the bathroom need to be modified to facilitate use by stroke patients. Bathroom floor should be installed to ensure the rubber mate bathroom floor is always safe from spills soapy water or water shower gels. Because of the stroke if there is a little slippery on the floor as a result of contact with water soap or shower gel may cause the patient slips and falls (due to stroke patients is difficult to balance the body when sliding, causing it fall out). If a stroke patient falls it can cause a variety of serious injury may occur as a slip dish to allow the spine due to paralysis from the waist to toe. If this situation happen will result in increased  stroke patients and can be attacked by a second stroke. Familiarity stroke incidence was the two side impact is greater. 

TIPS: 12 - STRESS MANAGEMENT 

Either the husband or the wife who had to care for their partner to be a stroke, he must undergo a Stress Management course. This is important because of the increasing burden of responsibility can lead us to experience stress. Prolonged stress if not managed properly can lead to us being attacked by various diseases such as hypertension, depression, etc., Based on the kinds of problems that appear in the dictionary of everyday life, then we must have the physical and mental strength for the management of stress. among the things that should be emphasized is: 1. Accepting the fact that affliction and suffering borne by our partners and jug burden of responsibility that we bear is the God test for us.God chose us to receive test is because God knows that we can effort to face . We also need to be planted in our minds the feeling to have been chosen by God to receive the test. If we are able to face it would be a great reward in the Hereafter. Today's trouble is rewarding to occupy the heaven of God in the afterlife 2. Be assured that the inconvenience faced by today, we are promised by Allah's paradise full of enjoyment. Thus we will assume, every difficulty would be follow possible for eventual success. Therefore we need to be patient in the face of any challenge.3. All problems will be resolved shall be based on our ability to overcoming them. If we are not able to finish it alone can get complaint  from others. Help can be obtained from the nearest family close friend or from certain bodies. authors experience in overcoming stress is to read the Koran every day, besides that we also need to understand and appreciate the content of the verses are read, as far as possible try we practice the teachings that is described in the Qur'an in our lives, hopefully we will get a guide in getting the blessings of this life and success in the Hereafter. Multiply the number of prayers we have to wish and pray to God if you have any impasse in resolving a problem. God willing, there will be a way solving problem. 

TIPS 13: HELPING PATIENTS TO BE POSITIVE THINKING FOR RECOVERY. 

Stroke patient with positive thinking that a cure can be achieved by the grace of God and it is also striving to 

restore physical paralysis. When patient have the positive mind to heal, it will give confident to patients to do physical movement such as undergoing exercise, able to do the work normally done by him prior to the attack of stroke. When this situation exists in patients mind, She will be likely to engage in activities that will strengthen weak muscles. When recovery process occur little by little, She will be continued until recovery of stroke better functions .. God willing, set mind that says every disease can be cured by God consent. Makes itself does not give the basis and will be determined through a test of  God. If this situation could be built within a stroke patient, making it more spirited to do things that can help activity to faster the healing process. My personal experience caring wife with stroke, changes of healing process  happened to my wife when she begin dominated by positive thoughts that stroke can be cured. In the first year to third year my  wife pretty weak with negative  mind set. Always  shaded with sadness as she becomes paralyzed.   She feeling no hope of recovery to normal condition, she like to be lonely and  grieving every day. This worst situation affects the physical body crouch saw it as only a matter of patients receiving any decree of his death will arrive. contrast was injected with positive thinking can  pliers possibility heal illness. it has seen marked changes. Start has the gift of self-confidence. began actively to do normal work activities done by her. With that position more cheerful life and love doing everyday.. This attitude has been changed to reflect the situation as normal people who do not have any chronic illnesses.