Common Symptoms of Stroke in Older Adults

There are a few common types of stroke symptoms among seniors which may help family caregivers to better understand the early symptoms of the disease. By knowing these symptoms, you can help your aging loved one manage his or her daily activities and encourage him or her to live a healthy life.

Difficulty Performing Daily Tasks

Seniors who are on the verge of stroke may experience severe changes in vision, speech impairment, sudden confusion, or issues related to coordination.  During a stroke, seniors may not be able to speak properly or have difficulties answering simple questions. Other signs of stroke may include feeling sudden disorientation, trouble waking up easily, or difficulties in accomplishing daily tasks.

Seniors who need help with stroke-recovery should seek assistance from an expert and trained caregiver. Huntsville home care providers can help seniors by offering live-in caregivers to enjoy greater independence and receive mental and social stimulation at home. Caregivers are trained in many holistic care methods, which can be beneficial for seniors to speed up the recovery process.

Paralysis and Weakness

Muscle weakness, stiffness, paralysis on one side of the body, are a few major effects of stroke observed in older adults. Paralysis can occur in senior men and women both, and it may affect the whole right or left side of their body. Seniors who are experiencing a stroke may have a lopsided smile or a drooping eyelid which occurs because some of their facial muscles are disabled.

Stroke Symptoms in Senior Men and Women

Common stroke symptoms in senior men are difficult to detect because the changes are abrupt. For example, your aging loved one may take a while to answer your simple questions, he or she may be unable to walk straight, or experience changes in vision. Apart from senior men, stroke symptoms can be hard to detect among women because they are complex and subtle. Hallucinations, confusion, severe headaches, or fatigue are a few stroke signs common in senior women. They might feel one or a combination of many symptoms during or after the stroke.

Must read: Warning signs and ways of preventing a stroke from occurring

How To Recognize Stroke Symptoms

The FAST test is the simplest and easiest way to recognize stroke symptoms in seniors regardless of the gender. To perform this test, ask your senior loved one to smile and if he or she drools while smiling, his or her facial muscles may be paralyzed.  For checking another sign of muscle weakness, ask your loved one to raise his or her arms, and observe whether one arm sags or appear to sink more than the other one.

To investigate slurry speech, have your loved one speaks an easy and simple sentence or a phrase, if he or she is unable to speak then consider calling emergency services. Also, take your loved one to the hospital if you observe any of the stroke symptoms such as speech impairment or recurring headaches.

Caring for a senior loved one who is recovering from a stroke can be challenging and overwhelming for family caregivers. However, family caregivers don�t have to face the daily challenges alone and can turn to Huntsville home care services for comprehensive stroke care. A reliable caregiver agency can offer live-in caregivers who can help seniors live safely and comfortably at home.

Author Bio

 Marina Torres is fun loving and loves to blog. She is a story teller, a foodie and looks forward to anything adventurous. She is a seasoned writer with experience in writing on any topic that catches her fancy. Currently, she is working for Home Care Assistance of Huntsville