How does anyone survive a stroke? I relied on my husband, family , friends, and a community that cared. I became the person I am today because I had that community.
Now, things are very different. The Coronavirus makes some people stay out of the hospitals. The news I have read is up to 30% to 50% of people having strokes are coming in too late to get the best treatment because they are afraid of getting COVID-19.
If you see anyone who is having a stroke, please call 911. I know that the Coronavirus seems scary, but a stroke means that 1.9 million neurons die every minute. You also lose 14 billion synapses. Compared with the normal rate of neuron loss in brain aging , the ischemic brain ages 3.6 years each hour untreated.
How Can You Be a Caregiver Now?
When you have a loved one in the hospital and you can't get in because of restrictions, how do you stay informed? How do you keep your loved one engaged? I would ask the staff if you can give your loved one a smartphone or tablet. When the doctor, nurse, or other caregiver is in the room, I would ask if they would let you be on the phone. I would also converse with your loved one via Zoom, FaceTime, Skype, or any other method that is acceptable.
What do you do when the stroke survivor is released from the hospital? I know in some cases they go straight home. There is no therapy done in a rehab hospital. When the Coronavirus pandemic is over, the stroke survivor may go in for therapy. But they have missed weeks or months of rehab, and every day lost means that it is harder to get better.
Maybe you can get home healthcare workers that will come to your house. Maybe your stroke survivor can connect with a stroke group online. There are a few stroke survivor groups meeting via Zoom. Many survivors and caregivers are learning that Zoom is easy enough to learn to use. I think the more a stroke survivor is connecting with people who understand what it is like to have a stroke, the more likely this person is to be motivated and engaged. My thought is that seeing someone else on a camera who has been in a similar position is much better than being alone.
Where to Find a Group
Maybe you can get home healthcare workers that will come by your house. Maybe your stroke survivor can connect with a stroke group online. There are a few stroke survivor groups meeting via Zoom. Many survivors and caregivers are learning that Zoom is easy enough to learn to use.
I think the more a stroke survivor is connecting with people who understand what it is like to have a stroke, the more likely this person is to be motivated to be engaged. My thought is that seeing someone else on a camera who has been in a similar position is much better than being alone.
Are you interested in knowing more about these stroke groups? Simply notify me at marcia@StrokeForward.com and I can connect you. These meetings have something for all stroke survivors and their caregivers.
www.StrokeForward.com https://www.facebook.com/StrokeForward/
After successfully building her business over the last twenty-plus years, Marcia Moran thought she had life by the tail. Little did she know what was in store.
Marcia Moran has written over fifty business plans, and helped entrepreneurs strategize over how to differentiate their companies in changing environments. Her twenty-plus years of experience helping other entrepreneurs caused her to found her own firm, Performance Architect, in 2012 and co-founded Positive Business DC that same year.
After suffering a major stroke in 2014, Marcia applied her skills in planning and strategy as she strived to become whole. She never gave up. Over time she learned to walk again, but Marcia struggled with aphasia, a language disorder. She joined Toastmasters International hoping to regain her speaking abilities. It helped some, but in August 2017 she discovered a technological breakthrough that minimized her speaking disability. She then pushed beyond her comfort zone to become a Toastmasters International Club Officer in 2017, then Area Director in 2019.
A woman of many talents, she attended Skirinssal Folkehoyskole in Sandefjord, Norway and studied art. She also earned a certificate in Well-being Foundations of Personal Transformation from the Personal Transformation and Courage Institute in Virginia. She volunteers at Brain Injury Services, supporting their Speakers Bureau program.
Marcia created Stroke FORWARD because she felt there is a need to share hope to stroke survivors and their caretakers. Learning to become her own health advocate one step a time and exploring holistic methods for healing are keys to her recovery. Marcia speaks and shares her message of hope, inspiration, healing, and a way forward as she goes across the country. She welcomes new opportunities to help individuals affected by major health crises move forward.
Marcia lives with her husband Jim, two very loud cats, and two birds near Washington, DC. Jim played a role of caretaker and advocate. His observations and experiences are also captured in Stroke FORWARD.
On weekends, Marcia, Jim, and the cats go to Deep Creek, Maryland where Marcia paints watercolors. In the evening Marcia and Jim sit out on the deck and watch fireflies flit by.
Marcia holds a B.S. in Political Science with a magna cum laude from the University of North Dakota and a Master’s in Business Administration, from Chapman University, in California.
Visit www.StrokeForward.com for more information.