Mum had a massive stroke in 2014 aged 80. She was v. fit and well up to then and still worked part time. Now she doesn't speak hardly and cannot walk or support herself physically at all. I still feel so sad & upset about this. She is nursing care. I try to be grateful that I still have her in my life, but it is hard to be positive. I try and get her to engage and read flashcards but it is hit & miss. She did have a PEG which was removed & she now eats liquidised food which is really good. I just want her to communicate better & if she could visit home for an hour, that would be great, but she is so unable to support herself, I'm not sure how to arrange. Any advice re communication and getting her home?
Hi SDH,
I'm sorry to hear about your mum's stroke. It must have been a challenging few years for you all. Perhaps some of our resources would interest you and your mum?
On My Stroke Guide, there's a whole section about communication. There's some really good videos, resources, techniques, websites and apps that might help. Click this link https://mystrokeguide.com/advice-and-information/physical/communication and use the big buttons at the top of that page to navigate through the different sections.
There's also some communication tools on the Stroke Association website. It might be worth a look through to see what could work for you and your mum: https://www.stroke.org.uk/what-is-stroke/what-is-aphasia/communication-tools
Hope that's helpful! If you need some more guidance, perhaps about getting her home too, you can always call the Stroke Helpline. The Helpline team aren't medically trained, but they can offer support. The Helpline is open Monday, Thursday and Friday 9.00am to 5.00pm, Tuesday and Wednesday 8.00am to 6.00pm and Saturday 10.00am to 1.00pm. The Helpline number is 0303 30 33 100. You can also email helpline@stroke.org.uk.
All the best to you and your family,
Andrew