Stroke Rehabilitation and Stroke Homecare in Harrow

What is a stroke?

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A person experiences a stroke when the blood flow to the brain is cut off, either due to a blockage or a bleed in the brain . When the brain is starved of blood, it can’t access any oxygen or essential nutrients . A lack of blood in the brain often results in brain cells and parts of the brain being damaged or destroyed. 

What are the after-effects of a stroke?

The consequences of a stroke vary according to the individual and how healthy they were at the time of the stroke. The impact can also depend on the location in the brain where the stroke struck, its intensity and the extent of the damage caused . 

Long-term effects of a stroke can include: cognitive problems, communication problems, physical problems, depression, incontinence, pain, and fatigue.

Speak to the Harrow Right at Home office to discuss how our care at home services can support you

How can Right at Home Harrow help with your post-stroke care at home?

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Life after a stroke is different for every individual. Most people see some level of recovery during their stay in hospital. Many continue to recover and regain skills by following a care plan for stroke survivors at home. 

Care plans following a stroke require input and development from a specialist stroke recovery team in a local Harrow hospital.

At Right at Home Harrow, our homecare for stroke patients can include:

• helping with mobility
• managing and administering medication
• household tasks
• transport
• shopping
• continence care

Importantly, our skilled CareGivers can also support Clients with their recovery and rehabilitation by assisting them to maintain their exercise routines and promoting a healthy lifestyle.

Right at Home Harrow also has a Clinical Specialist, based at National Office, who is available to assist CareGiver teams across the network when caring for a stroke survivor.

Advice for preventing strokes

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Although we cannot predict when a stroke may occur, keeping up a healthy lifestyle can reduce the risk of requiring stroke rehabilitation and care later in life.

The risk of suffering a stroke has several contributing factors. These include, but are not limited to:

• Blood pressure
• Genetic factors
• Age
• Diet
• Alcohol consumption
• If you smoke
• Fitness levels
• Pre-existing medical conditions

For some of these factors, there’s no action you can take - there’s nothing we can do about our genes. But it is well-known that maintaining a healthy, low alcohol, smoke-free lifestyle can reduce the risk of a stroke.

Identifying high blood pressure is particularly important/It’s important to identify high blood pressure. Ask your GP to check your blood pressure regularly. Doctors can then monitor your status, prescribe medication if required, and encourage lifestyle changes to reduce blood pressure to normal levels. Unchecked, high blood pressure is a high contributing factor.

Dealing with hypertension (high blood pressure)

If you are diagnosed with high blood pressure, it’s vital to keep it under control.

The best strategy for controlling and preventing high blood pressure is to begin with lifestyle changes. For older adults, this often involves a combination of light exercise, a healthy diet and medication.

At Right at Home Harrow, our CareGivers can come up with a customised hypertension programme should you need one. We’ll help to encourage a healthier way of life, including:

• Development of a light exercise schedule
• Coordination of a healthy meal plan
• Support with shopping
• Meal preparation
• Medication reminders/set-up/administration

Hypertension/Stroke information and resources

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• Stroke is the third leading cause of death in the United Kingdom
• Up to 80 percent of strokes are preventable
• For a great resource on living with hypertension, visit the British Hypertension Society
• For information on strokes, visit The Stroke Association