Conveying their thoughts to friends, family caregivers, and medical professionals is essential to the recovery process of stroke survivors. However, due to the effects of the strokes, seniors may lose many of their cognitive abilities, including communication. Continue reading to learn what communication devices your aging loved one can use while recovering from a stroke.
Emotion Cards
If sharing emotions is difficult due to speech problems and language uncertainty, your loved one can use emotion cards as a way to communicate his or her feelings. These cards display photos of different emotions, such as sad, angry, tired, and happy. When you ask how your loved one is doing, he or she can flip through the cards until locating the picture that accurately describes his or her current emotional state. Keep in mind your loved one’s emotional health may decrease after a stroke, putting him or her at a higher risk of a recurrent stroke as well as depression and other health issues. Using emotion cards can keep your loved one happily engaged and lower his or her anxiety levels.
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. Montgomery families can rely on expertly trained caregivers to keep their loved ones safe and comfortable while aging in place.
Tablets
If your loved one has developed aphasia after surviving a stroke, he or she can use a tablet to contact family and friends, whether he or she wants to send an email or communicate via video chat. Tablets can also be used to download apps that apply to daily life, such as meal planning apps, medication management tools, calendars, and transportation apps. Using a tablet gives your loved one the ability to write down notes so he or she doesn’t forget what he or she needs to do the following day. Most tablets have built-in maps, so you can go through the device and see where your loved one has been while you were away at work or out running errands.
A professional caregiver with experience in stroke care can be a wonderful addition to your caregiving team. If your senior loved one needs hourly or live-in care, Montgomery 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
Impaired dexterity is common among stroke survivors. Even with physical therapy and healthy habits, it could take months before seniors can move their hands at a healthy pace. During the recovery process, you can make communicating with family and friends easier for your loved one by installing picture phones in his or her home. These types of phones were created for people with weak memories and dexterity issues and for those with difficulty seeing clearly. Your loved one doesn’t need to worry about forgetting telephone numbers with the help of a picture phone. The visible images allow your loved one to push one button next to the person he or she needs to call, and the device can also minimize background noises.
Video Monitors
Stroke survivors are at a high risk of experiencing slips and falls because one side of the body is weakened or paralyzed. As a result, it may be challenging to walk. In some cases, walking is impossible during the early stages of the recovery process. Use a video monitor as a communication device for your parent. Your loved one can signal to you when he or she needs assistance getting up from the bed or a chair. You can also use this tool to monitor your loved one’s safety, giving you peace of mind when you two are in separate rooms.
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 home care services. Trust Home Care Assistance to help your elderly loved one age in place safely and comfortably. If you need professional home care for your aging loved one, our Care Managers are just a phone call away. Reach out to Home Care Assistance today at (334) 593-3988.