by Marie Santangelo, Staff Writer
The word “stroke” conjures up feelings of anxiety and fear even when
it has not touched our lives personally. When caregivers of stroke
patients face the reality of stroke and its aftermath, anxiety and
fear pervade care.
Often, we second guess our decisions as we care for others, but the
second guessing becomes more vivid when loved ones have acute
issues, like stroke. We worry that we did not give medication
properly, stress over small arguments that may have “caused” the
incident, and more.
Depending on the degree of impairment after a stroke, our own health
may take a turn into neglect as we pour more of ourselves into
caregiving. If we can put ourselves into a mindset that
incorporates self care into our daily routine, we will be less apt
to dismiss our needs.
Finding a balance in improving our loved one’s health and keeping
our own is a venture into more loving care experiences. Society is
making a shift toward a new attitude when it comes to taking care of
loved ones. As more people become informed about what it takes to
be a caregiver, the expectations others have of caregivers become
more realistic.
Television, radio, and publications offer information about stroke
awareness and prevention. Rather than feel overwhelmed with the
amount of data available, a caregiver can view the many sources as
resources to be drawn upon, a little at a time. Health tips,
cautions, dietary suggestions, and other advice from these resources
can be incorporated into the family structure to make everyone
healthier.
Nutrition And Stroke Patients:
After a stroke, the body begins its process of repairing itself with
the help of medical supervision and caregivers. The amount of
disruption a stroke causes varies from one body to another, but all
bodies require adequate nutrition to sustain and repair tissue.
Caregivers face new challenges after meeting with doctors and
dietary staff who suggest medication and meal changes. There may be
frustrating advice on portion control, spice usage, and fluid
regulation that can make caregivers feel as though their homes are
being turned even more upside down.
If we look at how the changes can benefit the entire family, the
changes we make will create better health for everyone involved.
Even when family members have different health conditions, an
overall evaluation of current eating habits against improved eating
habits will manifest positive changes. Caregivers are at the helm
of guiding their loved ones toward a healthy lifestyle, and the
pressure of having to create different meals only adds to stress.
Loved ones know the impact their illness has on the family and may
struggle against using special utensils or following a dietary
change. When a caregiver takes control and incorporates changes in
diet and exercise into the family matrix, everyone benefits. There
are no excuses for why dietary changes aren’t followed because there
are no differences in “who gets what.”
Stroke can diminish the capability to chew and swallow. The patient
who enjoyed vegetables and salads may not be able to handle these
larger pieces. Adapting to chopped salads and vegetables can be an
option. Wilted or “cooked” salads have made their way into finer
restaurants and can be featured on your dinner table. This simple
change in a meal will offer everyone at the table something new to
try together.
Mealtime is favored by many households as a time to get together,
chat, and connect. Food, its taste and presentation bring people
together in many ways. Instead of caregivers feeling stress about
preparing more than one meal type, new dishes can be served and
evaluated.
Since the taste of food may be altered after a stroke, and the
patient placed on a sodium restricted diet, suggestions for
flavoring can be obtained from the dietician. Asking about products
like dulse or seaweed to replace salt is an option. They also add
healthy minerals to dishes in ways iodized salt doesn’t.
Soups can be an easy option as an entrée as long as a caregiver is
not required to monitor fluid intake and output. Even when fluid is
restricted, a balance can be found by changing portion size to fit
the fluid intake restrictions. Stews and other broth-based items
like gravies and sauces have to be included in fluid intake as
well. However, this is where portion control for the whole family
comes in, and is an advantage.
Finding Alternatives:
Jar sauces provide a great deal of convenience when cooking, but the
sodium content and other additives may be deemed off limits after a
stroke. A caregiver may be encouraged to cook with fresh
ingredients, but this may not be practical on a day-to-day basis.
However, cooking ahead and keeping some things frozen may be a way
to save time and stress while using homemade ingredients. The time
spent one day will be saved by reheating on following days.
Sauces and gravies work well when reheated carefully. A crock pot
can be set on low at day’s start, with the meal ready by
dinnertime.
Whole grains like amaranth can be cooked well and mixed with other
cereals like grits or oatmeal. Amaranth has a surprising quality of
being very gravy-like in consistency, and can work as a gravy
alternative. Since it also holds other flavors well, small amounts
of honey and cinnamon or other “warm” spices keep away the salt
factor while retaining flavor.
It takes time to be willing to experiment with “health” foods, but
the people who work in these stores can offer cooking ideas.
Certain foods do not do well being frozen (tofu) or reheated, but
labels explain enough to make it easy.
Finding alternatives to butter and oil can also be found in health
food stores. Omega oils, sold by the bottle, double as salad
dressings or spreads, and carry flavors as well as butter or
margarine. Many oils, like flax seed oil, cannot be heated, but
referring to the label provides the information needed.
Studies are beginning to show that by raising “good” cholesterol,
the effects on the body equal those of lowering “bad” cholesterol.
The Journal of the American Medical Association discussed this in a
February 7, 2007 issue where four studies of patients with coronary
events found that patients who worked on both good and bad
cholesterol levels had the most improvement overall.
What this means to caregivers is that everything
we do (and some things are easier than others) to improve the health
of our loved ones—and ourselves—has an effect. Whether we are
talking about more exercise, a change in diet, relaxation
therapy—any positive change, it works toward everyone’s well being.
These are only a few of the many alternate
transportation methods that are available. It is important to
emphasize that it is still possible for someone to be independent
and live on their own in the absence of a car and a driver’s
license. It is natural for someone to be anxious or even depressed
about not being able to drive. In order to address these concerns,
caregivers and loved ones need to continue communicating about the
need for transportation and how those needs can best be met.
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