A stroke is an attack on the brain, and the impact of this attack can make it difficult to communicate. In many cases, the effects are temporary, and most brain functions can be restored with medical treatment. While seniors are recovering, they should use the following communication devices to make daily life easier for themselves and their family caregivers.
Photo Cards
If the muscles in your elderly loved one’s face, throat, and tongue are affected by the stroke, he or she could experience communication problems. The range of those issues depends on the severity of the stroke. However, you can use photo cards as an alternative way to communicate while your loved one goes through therapy. Photo cards were created to spark conversations and help older adults boost cognition. The photo cards generally feature high-quality images divided into multiple sections, such as comparing and contrasting, abstract reasoning, and problem solving. Your loved one can use the photo cards to explain what he or she is feeling, ask a question, or solve a problem associated with his or her care.
There are a variety of age-related health conditions that can make it more challenging for seniors to live independently. However, many of the challenges they face can be easier to manage if their families opt for professional senior care. Barrie families can rely on expertly trained caregivers to keep their loved ones safe and comfortable while aging in place.
Recording Alarm Clocks
Completing daily tasks can be challenging for older adults who’ve had strokes. They may have difficulty remembering important things, such as prescription schedules, social activities, and doctor appointments. With recording alarm clocks, you and other family caregivers can record a reminder for your parent, or he or she can use the device as a personal alarm, which could prevent him or her from forgetting necessary actions due to the memory problems caused by the stroke. Recording alarm clocks are also ideal for seniors with peripheral vision loss, which is common after a stroke.
Hearing Aids
When it comes to stroke damage, people are more aware of the reasoning and memory issues associated with the stroke. However, the condition can also cause hearing loss. Strokes that affect one of the temporal lobes can lead to mild hearing loss. If the stroke damages both temporal lobes, seniors may experience deafness, but it’s rare to have both lobes affected. Using hearing aids can help with various problems related to strokes, including:
• Auditory agnosia
• Sensorineural hearing loss
• Auditory illusions
• Auditory hallucinations
Having a caregiver close by can give your loved one peace of mind while he or she recovers from a stroke. If your senior loved one needs hourly or live-in care, Barrie Home Care Assistance can help. Our caregivers can assist with exercise and mobility, prepare nutritious meals, provide timely medication reminders, and help with a wide array of other important daily tasks.
Picture Phones
Thanks to picture phones, weak vision and memory problems won’t keep your loved one from dialing the numbers of important individuals, such as you or other family caregivers, a primary care physician, or friends. When using this device, your loved one can push the button associated with the picture on the phone, and the device will dial that person’s contact number. Program your loved one’s picture phone and assign the images to the correct phone numbers. Photo phones only require the push of a button, which is great if your loved one is also experiencing dexterity issues due to the stroke.
These devices can stimulate cognition and make communication easier for senior stroke survivors, and so can having a trained caregiver close by. Seniors can face a variety of challenges as they age, many of which can be mitigated with the help of professional in-home caregivers who provide high-quality homecare. Trust Home Care Assistance to help your elderly loved one age in place safely and comfortably. Call Home Care Assistance today at 647-970-3803 to learn about our high-quality in-home care services.