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Question & Answer

We are discussing The Self Management of Arthritis
With Graeme Rossiter, Elizabeth Scrivener and Sally Ranford

Question:
My dad had a serve stroke 2 years ago and he has no movement on his right side the drs told us to put him in a nursing home he would never walk or eat again, we didnt listen and took him home he now eats on his own and he can weight bare. we are always interested in any ideas to help try and improve his quality of life so if you have any ideas let me know we will try anything to help our dad we love him to much not to try he was 69 when he had the stroke.

Answer:
Sally - Thanks for your enquiry - your family has clearly played an important role in advocating for your father and from your description he is enjoying a quality of life better than predicted at the time of his stroke.

You have obviously worked hard to secure your father's ability to eat independently -so congratulations! That is an accomplishment to be proud of not only in terms of your father's self-esteem and ability to control a basic daily task but also in terms of freeing up carer resources for other areas not yet as well developed.

The sorts of things we would normally be looking at for someone who has had a severe stroke vary from individual to individual and with all things there are degrees of recovery/improvement - not everyone will reach the same outcome at the end of the day.

You have not said anything about your father's ability to communicate, his ability to assist with other daily living skills, how he spends his day and who, if anyone, provides any specific rehabilitation or therapeutic support to your father to facilitate any further recovery however I encourage you and your family to discuss, with your father, any additional goals you would like to set. If health professionals are still playing a role in your father's recovery, discuss with them how they see their role in relation to these.

Possible goals could include seating comfort at home, mobility, how to build on his weight bearing skills so that your father can play a more active role in transfers from position to position, communication, self-care-showering/toiletting/shaving and recreation and leisure to name but a few. One strategy might be to contact the ILC in your State/Territory (www.ilcaustralia.org) to source information on products, organisations and other resources that might help achieve these goals.

Another option is to visit: http://www.strokefoundation.com.au/ - this is the website of the National Stroke Foundation and provides a range of resources on coping with stroke, recovery from stroke, information for carers, FAQ (frequently asked questions) and many more.
Best wishes

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