If your husband or wife has suffered a stroke, you might find yourself at a higher risk of health problems. In a recent study, the spouses of those that had suffered a stroke have reported reduced social functioning, lower mental and physical vitality, and more overall health issues.
Some of this may be stress related. Helping to care for a loved one is not easy, and it can place a huge burden on you. Instead of tackling it all yourself, consider using the help of an in-home caregiver. You will not be giving up, or quitting on your spouse. Instead, you are finding a loving solution to helping them get the care that they need, all while keeping yourself healthier so that you can keep providing them with the love and support that only you can give them. In-home care might seem like a failure to provide on your behalf, but the exact opposite is actually the case: you are realizing that you cannot do it all on your own and making sure that they are still getting what they need.
For this study, over 240 stroke survivors and their families were observed over the course of seven years. About 16 percent of those that had had a stroke originally had suffered from one or more subsequent strokes by the conclusion of the study. Also, many spouses found that their health kept deteriorating during the entire time, not just during the first year. A strong link was found between the severity of the disability that followed the stroke and the severity of the spouse’s health issues. This just underscores the fact that caring for a disabled loved one is a very difficult thing to do. All of these stroke patients were under the age of 70, which is one of the younger populations to be observed in a study like this. The spouses of older stroke victims have been known to be strongly impacted by their loved one’s sickness, but until this study, there hasn’t been much evidence on how younger populations are affected.
One other area that had light shed upon it was the mental health of spouses. Watching a loved one suffer is never easy, and the need for help among stroke patients’ spouses is great, even among younger couples. There are new demands placed upon these families, and lifestyles may need to change considerably to adapt to the new realities placed upon them. They might need to leave their jobs, find a new place to live, or something else equally radical in order to become the main family caregiver. This is quite stressful and can lead to anxiety and depression, especially if they have health issues that prevent them from helping out as much as they wish to. These demands can linger for years, and oftentimes, it seems like there is no end in sight. That can make the mental illness that sets in even worse. Having a professional caregiver to help, or a supportive family member to step in can help to relieve the burden of this task.
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