EnableMe | enableme - stroke recovery and support

I am 32 years old, my father is 60. He had a stroke six months ago, after which I had to take care of him. He was a single father, so our relationship was always quite close. I was in despair when it happened to him. The doctors say that recovery is possible, but quite long. The worst thing is not his physical functionality, although he started to move more slowly, but his mental-cognitive state. It seems that sometimes he cannot remember what is happening and constantly asks me about what I just told him. He has become very depressed and often refuses to drink and eat. Sometimes he goes to bed at night, so he has to wear a bra. Sometimes he simply refuses to talk to me.

He is currently taking B vitamins, as well as neuroprotectors such as cerebrolysin and piracetam. Nothing seems to help, I plan to make an appointment with another doctor.

Have you had similar situations and how did you deal with them?

Hi, I am a stroke survivor of 44yo, ischemic stroke. Sorry to hear about your father whom you are close with.

I am quite positive from your description he need the help of a psychologist. A good GP will recommend you one or feel free to call stroke foundation for assistance.

He might also need to be tested by a neuro-psychologist (both psychologists are not the same)

Having depression is normal likewise to having fatigue all the time. It is very challenging especially when he is alone. A suggestion here is to find a community in your area. Unfortunately this site might not have the latest list.

Do also have a close read at some of the medicines that could be prescribed for stroke and depression, I am of opinion it does not work the same for everyone which is also normal. 'The Internet' has information that might not be right or useful sometimes.

I am sharing my own experiences, please do consult a GP / doctor that was recommended to you from the hospital.

Hello Bily,

Thank you for reaching out to StrokeLine at the Stroke Foundation of Australia. I am sorry to hear about your father’s stroke and the difficulties he is having, as well as the impacts on both of you.

Stroke can affect one’s mood, including depression, as well as cognition (or thinking skills), including memory. Depression is more than just sadness or a low mood; it is a serious illness that can have severe effects on both physical and mental health. Additionally, being tired or depressed can make it harder to think clearly and therefore exacerbate existing cognitive impacts. Treatment for depression can vary from person to person. It may include lifestyle changes (like exercise and diet), psychological therapies, and medication. Similarly, there is a variety of interventions for cognitive changes such as reduced memory.

In Australia, we would recommend the stroke survivor or their carer to speak to the General Practitioner (regular doctor) about the difficulties the stroke survivor (in this case - your father) is experiencing with memory and depression. Your father may be referred to allied health professionals (or your area's equivalent) who can provide cognitive assessment and intervention, such as a neuropsychologist (NP) and an occupational therapist (OT). For management of depression, your father may be referred to a psychologist or counsellor.

· A neuropsychologist can assess your father’s cognition post-stroke in a comprehensive way to give a detailed description of what changes the stroke may have caused.

· An occupational therapist can assess how these changes affect your father’s performance of daily tasks and routines, to provide strategies to help improve the situation.

· A psychologist/counsellor can provide emotional support and identify coping strategies when your father is feeling depressed or low mood.

Here are some resources that may resonate with you:

Depression and anxiety after stroke | Stroke Foundation - Australia

Personality changes | enableme - stroke recovery and support

Memory Loss podcast

Self-care for carers and family members | Fact sheet | Synapse

It is also worth considering reaching out to your local stroke association. If you struggle to do so, let us know where exactly you are based (what country) and we can help point you in the right direction.

Best of luck,

Bethany (StrokeLine)

Hi bily930, I have had to remove your most recent post as it was promoting online purchasing of a medicine that has not been shown to be safe and effective, and is not approved for use in Australia by the Therapeutic Goods Administration. Unfortunately, we cannot allow this promotion on EnableMe.

However, we understand how challenging mental health and cognitive changes can be. As the post from StrokeLine mentions, there is other support available. If you have further questions about these supports, you can post here or email StrokeLine directly.

Hi Bily, I'll start simple (due to my cognitive impairment due to stroke):

- there is no quick fix (unfortunately) - my stroke was July 2016

- important to understand type of stroke and if a particular part of the brain has been impaired (could help you understand your dad's behaviour and needs better). E.g. my wife has to repeat often 3-4 times the same thing (my short-term memory).

- I play Luminosity to assist with improving brain functions. Look at the brain as a muscle - constant repeats of same activities helps.

- social interaction can assist, although, accept that your dad prefers time spent alone (TV, newspaper, movies, music).

- maybe movies/music when he was younger? Can stimulate memory/emotions

- 'Seven stages of grief' helped me (loss after stroke)

Take care!

Hi Bily, forgot to mention NDIS. Applying is not easy, requires Dr/GP input, but if approved, funding (over a certain period) could assist your dad (e.g. company, social activities, shopping, cleaning).

Happy to answer Qs. In short, my stroke was July 2016 (21 days in ICU, temporary loss of vision, had to learn to walk again, etc.).

Take care.

Take care Bily

Hi bily! Firstly, you are doing good in taking good care of your father. My grandfather is a stroke survivor who I took care for 2 years before I moved out (now his children is taking care of him). he suffers on cognitive and left side motor function. it was hard but we fight our way through it. The things we need to understand is that we should try to given them motivation to fight. We did walking on our block, slowly yes but still we have to do exercise to reduce him on being isolate. Another thing is that doing herbal lifestyle. It made my gradfather at ease. We also did pythotherapy and naturopathy on our journey for us to have this healthy balance in mind and body. And also, do some session with your doctor since they know better. Like we have a session with our Dr, sebastian liew. He taught us about how stroke occur, how us learn to accept and fight. Go try and explore whats best fit on your journey. Never lose hope. you guys got this

I am son of a stroke survivor.

Leave a reply

Leave a reply