Tuesday Tips for Caregivers – May is National Stroke Awareness Month
Hello and welcome. Strokes can affect people of all ages and backgrounds. Every 40 seconds, someone in the United States has a stroke. In 2008 alone, more than 133,000 Americans died from stroke – or one person every four minutes – died from stroke, making it the fourth leading cause of death in the United States.
A stroke, sometimes called a brain attack, occurs when a blockage stops the flow of blood to the brain or when a blood vessel in or around the brain bursts. Although many people think of stroke as a condition that affects only older adults, strokes can and do occur in people of all ages. In fact, nearly a quarter of all strokes occur in people younger than age 65.
Each year, almost 800,000 strokes occur in the United States. Strokes often lead to serious, life-changing complications that include:
- Paralysis or weakness on one side of the body.
- Problems with thinking, awareness, attention, learning, judgment, and memory.
- Problems understanding or forming speech.
- Difficulty controlling or expressing emotions.
- Numbness or strange sensations.
- Pain in the hands and feet.
- Depression.
Recognizing the Signs of Stroke
When responding to a stroke, every minute counts. The sooner a patient receives medical treatment, the lower the risk for death or disability. If you or someone you know exhibits the following signs or symptoms, call 9-1-1 immediately.
- Numbness or weakness of the face, arm, or leg, especially on one side of the body.
- Confusion, trouble speaking, or difficulty understanding.
- Trouble seeing in one or both eyes.
- Trouble walking, dizziness, or loss of balance and coordination.
- Severe headache with no known cause.
To speak with us ElderCare at Home
Feel free to call us at (888) 285-0093. Thanks for joining us for today’s Tuesday Tips for Caregivers and we’ll see you again next week!
