Patients, caregivers edified on how to live productive lives pre- and post- stroke

Sep 05, 2019 News

With the aim of ensuring that the Guyanese public, caregivers and more importantly patients are “stroke-smart”, the Palms Rehabilitation Department and the Ministry of Public Health yesterday hosted a programme titled, ‘Stroke Survivors’ Forum.’

Some of the participants at yesterday’s forum

The forum, which commenced at 9:00hrs yesterday at the Palms Geriatric Home on Brickdam, facilitated discussions on stroke—what it is, its causes, risk factors, what one should do when a stroke attacks them, and the myths that surround the disease.
While the disease remained the topic of the day by the staff at the rehab centre, more attention and light was shed on healthy living, treatment and therapy that are offered at the Palms after a person is unfortunate to be affected by the disease.
Kaieteur News spoke with physiotherapist at the centre, Ms. Findlay, and she reiterated that prevention of the disease is pivotal to a healthy life. She stated that with practising a stable blood pressure, low sugar intake, a healthy diet and exercise, one can prevent one’s self from getting a stroke, or any disease for the matter.
Findlay was keen to note and point out some myths circulating in Guyana that are associated with strokes.
“A stroke can affect anyone at any age. You don’t have to be 40 or 50 years of age to experience one. Another thing is that many people think that a stroke can happen in the heart or in the hand and that’s not true. It’s a brain injury and whatever area the brain controls, that is where is affected.”
Discussions were also conducted on the patient’s lifestyle, behavioural changes, depression, and communication problems. Findlay says that, “all of these things happen after a stroke, and we want our patients to be stroke-smart, to know what to do, and to encourage them.”
Vanessa Wickham, who is also a physiotherapist, was tasked with informing the patients on the importance of physiotherapy to them, post-stroke.
“I had to emphasise why they should do their exercises, the exercise prescriptions, and how frequently they should be doing their exercises, the intensity of the exercises, type of exercises, and the amount of time they should spend doing their exercises, and benefits. Walk or jog for 30 minutes a day, five days a week, can do so much for you. Even after therapy has been completed, they still need to be doing their exercises to maintain what they would have gained through therapy,” Wickham related.
She added that many of the patients who arrive at the rehab centre start in wheelchairs, but after treatment, they progress to using walkers, some graduate to canes, and some even walk without assisting devices.
“The only issues we have with those patients who do not exercise are the ones who are depressed or those who don’t have a good support—be it family or caregiver. But those who want to be reintegrated into society, they do their part. They would come here, do their exercises, and follow their home exercise programme. These programmes are just to reinforce their drive for physiotherapy.”
Peggy Julian, 58, who experienced her first stroke in May of this year, was quite enthusiastic about the forum and the information gathered from it. “My stroke affected me in the left side of the body, and it has been very rough. But the therapy here at the centre has been very good.”