After someone has a stroke, it is very important for them to start following through with healthy lifestyle habits. These habits increase their chances of having a better and more successful recovery. They also reduce the risk of the person having another stroke. Did your elderly loved one have a stroke? If so, learn more today about the best ways you and 24-hour home care providers can lower your elderly loved one’s risk of having another stroke.
Learn About the Cause for the First Stroke
One of the best ways to lower the risk of someone having a second stroke is to find out why they had a stroke the first time. Some common causes of strokes include:
- Atrial fibrillation
- Thinning of blood vessels
- High blood pressure
- Heart disease
You should talk to your elderly loved one’s doctor. Do your best to figure out what the cause of their first stroke was. After your elderly loved one’s stroke, you may have gotten them 24-hour home care services. The home care providers can attend the appointments and ask questions if you can’t be there.
Quitting Bad Habits
Does your elderly loved one have any bad habits? If so, they are likely going to have an increased risk for strokes. If they keep up with their bad habits after having one stroke, they are even more likely to have another one. Some of the bad habits often associated with strokes include:
- Smoking cigarettes
- Drinking alcohol
- Eating fatty foods
All these habits are bad for a person’s body. They can raise blood pressure and cholesterol levels. Both those issues can lead to a stroke or a secondary stroke. If needed, you can have the caregivers from the 24-hour home care service encourage your elderly loved one to avoid these habits every day.
Attend All Follow-Up Doctor Appointments
There are many people who have a stroke that don’t go back to the doctor when they are released from the hospital. This means they aren’t getting the medications or treatments they need to prevent another stroke. It is important to make sure your elderly loved one is going to all their appointments and following through with what their doctor tells them to do.
24-Hour Home Care Can Help
These are just some of the many ways that your elderly loved one can lower their risk of a second stroke. In addition, if your elderly loved one’s doctor tells them to make other changes or do any treatments, they should do those things, as well.
Sources: https://www.cdc.gov/stroke/healthy_living.htm
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4536764/