Visual neglect is a common, and yet often overlooked health effect that occurs in the aftermath of a stroke. This is the term used to describe the difficulty that the brain may have in processing information that is seen on one side of the body. Because a stroke might impact one half of the brain more than the other, visual neglect occurs most often on just one side of the body. The brain struggling with this is able to process things seen out of one eye, but not the other.
The repercussions of this can be severe. If someone has had a stroke, they may be completely unaware of things that are happening right in front of them. This can be dangerous in many instances, and it can seem as if they are ignoring people. Neither of these are desired. New therapy is working on repairing this, but it is still a long way from being perfect. The therapy is called visuomotor feedback training (VFT), and although it is still being developed, it has already shown to have good results and it is very cheap to administer.
So far, tests have shown that VFT has the ability to improve the quality of life for many people who are struggling with recovery from a stroke. Things like eating, dressing, bathing, and just getting around the house were made easier.
Visual neglect is a common problem that occurs during stroke recovery.
It’s important that we remember that when a loved one has recently had a stroke they have a whole new set of needs before them. They may be high functioning, but odds are they cannot yet do things the way that they used to be able to. An in-home care professional may be needed to help them get through the day. VFT is designed to help people to maintain their independence for longer, but the help of a caregiver can be beneficial in the meantime. Professional caregivers are there to help with the activities of daily living such as grooming, eating, transportation, and more, and when visual or physical problems make these things difficult or impossible on their own, the caregiver fills a very important function.
Visual neglect is a very troubling part of stroke recovery for many people. Estimates say that about one third of stroke survivors are still dealing with this particular disability one year after their stroke. It is a very widespread issue, and until treatment becomes more affordable and more easily accessible, it is going to stay a big problem. Having the senior care necessary to help keep your mom or dad safe while they recover is a must, regardless of whether they are being treated for their visual neglect or not. A professional caregiver can often be the best way to help them get through their day. And if they are suffering from this, there’s hope that treatment will soon be a lot more cost effective for the average family. With all of the expenses that come along with senior care, one more thing to worry about can be overwhelming.
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