Bathroom and toilet doors should not be locked. If this creates a problem, fit a special lock which can be opened from outside in an emergency. If the bathroom or toilet is small it will be safer to have the door rehung to open outwards. If getting on and off … What is Personal hygieneRead more
What is Meal times
If swallowing food is a problem a speech therapist should be asked to help. When the affected hand has limited grip, cutlery with extra thick handles will be easier to hold. A cheese knife with a sharp curved blade can be used to cut through food with downward pressure and … What is Meal timesRead more
What is Activities of daily living
When coping with activities of daily living is too difficult, help should be sought from occupational therapists employed by the local Social Services department or the local hospital occupational therapy department. OTs and physiotherapists can help with re-learning these activities and if necessary teaching new ways of doing them. OTs … What is Activities of daily livingRead more
What is Memory and concentration
It is quite common to have difficulty in remembering new information after a stroke. This makes it harder to learn new ways of coping with dressing and other activities of daily living. There may be the loss of the ability, to remember pieces of information in sequence, like all the … What is Memory and concentrationRead more
What is Tearfulness, depression and insomnia
A loss of emotional control is quite common, laughing and smiling one moment and in tears and sobbing the next. Tears may be the result of some happy emotion, like listening to a great piece of music, or they may have no apparent cause at all. Some people may get … What is Tearfulness, depression and insomniaRead more
What is Visual problems, loss of feeling and neglect
Some people have a loss of the field of vision on the same side as the paralysis. This is rather like wearing goggles with masking tape over either the right or left side of each lens. These people will tend to bump into furniture and be unable to find objects … What is Visual problems, loss of feeling and neglectRead more
What is Perceptual problems and changed personality
Some areas of the brain are concerned with personality, behaviour and an awareness of the environment in which we live. When these brain cells are damaged by a stroke the patient may behave differently and will no longer respond to the environment in the same way as before. This will … What is Perceptual problems and changed personalityRead more
What is Special problems
Many of the disorders that can occur as the result of a stroke are described here. Few people will experience many of them and some disorders will spontaneously recover after quite a short time. They are included here to help relatives and friends understand when the patient is behaving in … What is Special problemsRead more
What is Speaking, reading and writing
There are different forms and degrees of speech and language disorder. There may be an inability to control the tongue, lips or throat (dysarthria) or a difficulty in recognising words, finding the right word or putting words in order (dysphasia) in which case reading and writing will also be affected. … What is Speaking, reading and writingRead more
What is Using both hands
Many everyday activities are carried out with one hand while the other hand holds the work steady. There are many ways of stabilising objects such as putting a weight on top or non-slip material underneath. But it is better to involve the affected hand as much as possible even if … What is Using both handsRead more