Physical help. If the person needs help, try sitting in front of the them and offer a small amount of food at a time. Make sure each fork or spoonful has been swallowed before giving the next. Let the person smell the food before they eat. It helps to get saliva in the mouth ready for the food and moistens the food as it is eaten.
- Flatware with larger and thicker handles that are easier to hold. You can switch to knives with curved blades that let you cut food with one hand.
- Plate guards. They help you scoop the food against a wall on the plate while you eat with one hand.
- Rubberized pads. ...
- Adaptive kitchen equipment.
What can I do to help stroke victims eat?
Process your foods to make them easy to swallow. For example, rather than eating an apple, have the apple cut up into small pieces that are easy to chew. As your dietitian or therapist to make thicker any liquids you drink. There are many additives available that make liquids easier to swallow for stroke victims. Do not eat foods that are too hot or cold. Use special eating …
What are adaptive dining aids for stroke victims?
Daily aids Sit up straight Before eating, sit up straight. Your head should be slightly forward and your chin slightly down. This helps prevent choking. Sit up straight Eat in a calm, quiet place When you have trouble swallowing, it is safer to stay focused when you eat. During your meal: Turn off the TV or radio Limit the number of people talking
What can I do to prevent choking after a stroke?
Keep It Simple! When you are starting to cook on your own after your stroke, start with simple recipes that do not require a lot of exact timing. Soups and stews are a great idea, as are meals in the skillet. Dinners that you can just pop in the oven also work well, such as pot pies or pizzas.
How can I make liquids easier to swallow for stroke victims?
I’m sure you have much more ideas in your OT repertoire, too! 3. Pinwheel for oral motor strengthening. As you know our patients with a stroke can suffer from facial droop. Blowing on the pinwheel can increase facial muscle strength and can help increase oral motor strength for eating, for smiling, and so much more.
What is one thing that can be done to help a stroke patient swallow normally?
Patients may need maneuvers to direct food away from the weak side, a change in posture to reduce the likelihood of aspiration, a change in the consistency and volume of food in order to improve bolus transit and reduce the likelihood of aspiration, or rehabilitative exercises—such as the Shaker exercise, Mendelsohn ...
How do occupational therapists help stroke patients?
Occupational therapists help patients improve their sensory and motor abilities during the post-stroke recovery period so patients can relearn valuable skills, including grooming, using a computer, and cooking. With these skills, stroke survivors can return to normal life. Learning strategies to overcome challenges.Oct 26, 2016
What is the most important treatment for a stroke patient?
For an ischemic stroke—a stroke caused by a blood clot blocking a vessel that supplies blood to the brain—treatment involves either busting the clot or physically removing it. For many patients, the blood clot can be treated with clot-dissolving medications like tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) or tenecteplase (TNK).Mar 25, 2022
How do you feed a stroke patient with dysphagia?
Here are some tips to improve your safety with dysphagia:Eat soft foods – they're easier to chew.Drink thick liquids – it moves slower than thin liquids and reduces your chance of choking.Focus on sitting up straight – and definitely don't lie down while eating!Eat slowly – this greatly reduces your risk of choking.More items...•Jan 13, 2021
What steps can you take to prevent a stroke?
Healthy livingChoose healthy foods and drinks. Choosing healthy meal and snack options can help you prevent stroke. ... Keep a healthy weight. Having overweight or obesity increases your risk for stroke. ... Get regular physical activity. ... Don't smoke. ... Limit alcohol. ... Check cholesterol. ... Control blood pressure. ... Control diabetes.More items...•Apr 5, 2022
How do you help a stroke patient speech?
When communicating with a stroke survivor who has communication problems (aphasia), it is helpful to:Be patient.Eliminate distractions. ... Keep the questions simple, so that the survivor may reply using yes or no.Keep commands and directions simple.Speak in a normal voice at normal loudness.More items...•Jul 16, 2019
What are 3 treatments for a stroke?
Stroke treatmentClot-breaking drugs. Thrombolytic drugs can break up blood clots in your brain's arteries, which still stop the stroke and reduce damage to the brain. ... Mechanical thrombectomy.Stents. ... Surgery. ... Medications. ... Coiling. ... Clamping. ... Surgery.
What is the best treatment for ischemic stroke?
The main treatment for ischemic stroke is intravenous tissue plasminogen activator (tPA), which breaks up clots. 2018 guidelines from the American Heart Association (AHA) and the American Stroke Association (ASA) state that tPA is most effective when it's given within four and a half hours from the start of a stroke.
Is honey good for stroke patients?
Honey and Cinnamon Cinnamon is an inexpensive spice that can help decrease your risk of stroke or heart disease. A small amount of both substances can improve blood flow, reduce LDL cholesterol levels, help lower blood pressure, and improve circulation.Dec 10, 2012
Which strategies will promote effective swallowing without coughing choking or aspiration?
Body positions that minimize aspiration include the reclining position, chin down, head rotation, side inclination, the recumbent position, and combinations of these. Patients with severe dysphagia often use a 30° reclining position.
How do you feed a stroke patient?
Stroke patients are often instructed to focus on eating lean protein and nutrient-dense fruits and vegetables while limiting sugar, salt, and fats. Many liquid meal substitutes contain large amounts of added sugar, as do a lot of soft, palatable foods including most yogurts, puddings, and jellos.May 31, 2018
How do you feed someone with a stroke?
Stick to soft foods. Items like cooked cereal, mashed potatoes, soup, cottage cheese, and applesauce are all easier to eat. If you want to try tougher foods, cut them into small pieces or chop them in a blender to make them easier to chew. Thicken your liquids.Jul 21, 2021
How to make eating easier after a stroke?
For example: Process your foods to make them easy to swallow. For example, rather than eating an apple, have the apple cut up into small pieces that are easy to chew.
How to recover from a stroke?
Also, keep in mind these helpful eating tips as you recover from your stroke: Eat foods that have a pleasant aroma. Foods that smell good will stimulate your salivary glands and make it easier to chew and swallow food. Drink juice instead of water .
What happens after a stroke?
One of the most frequent problems is dysphagia, or difficulty in swallowing. Stroke patients may have problems with fully chewing or producing enough saliva to swallow normally. There also are other common problems ...
What are the problems that can cause a stroke?
Depth of field and perspective problems that make it difficult to see where things are. This is especially common on the side of the body affected by stroke. Difficulty identifying everyday objects and remembering how to do basic daily living functions, including using eating utensils. Weakness in the hands or arms, which makes eating difficult. ...
Is eating after a stroke a good thing?
But with the proper knowledge, guidance from your medical professional, and the appropriate stroke supplies, eating can once again be an easy, enjoyable experience.
Can you eat with a stroke?
Use Special Stroke Dining Aids to Help You Eat. It is common to have weakness on one side of the body after a stroke. If one hand or arm is weak, holding a fork or spoon could be difficult. If you are having difficulty reaching for food, eating or drinking, there are many helpful dining aid stroke products available: ...
What do you need to do after a stroke?
After a stroke, you may need rehabilitation ( rehab) to help you recover. Before you are discharged from the hospital, social workers can help you find care services and caregiver support to continue your long-term recovery.
What is the best way to get to the hospital for a stroke?
Stroke Treatment. Calling 9-1-1 at the first symptom of stroke can help you get to the hospital in time for lifesaving stroke care. Your stroke treatment begins the moment emergency medical services (EMS) arrives to take you to the hospital. Once at the hospital, you may receive emergency care, treatment to prevent another stroke, ...
What is the best medicine for a stroke?
If you get to the hospital within 3 hours of the first symptoms of an ischemic stroke, you may get a type of medicine called a thrombolytic (a “clot-busting” drug) to break up blood clots. Tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) is a thrombolytic. tPA improves the chances of recovering from a stroke.
Why do people go to the hospital for stroke?
Stroke patients who are taken to the hospital in an ambulance may get diagnosed and treated more quickly than people who do not arrive in an ambulance. 1 This is because emergency treatment starts on the way to the hospital. The emergency workers may take you to a specialized stroke center to ensure that you receive the quickest possible diagnosis ...
What is a tube used for?
The tube is then used to install a device, such as a coil, to repair the damage or prevent bleeding. Surgical treatment. Hemorrhagic strokes may be treated with surgery. If the bleeding is caused by a ruptured aneurysm, a metal clip may be put in place to stop the blood loss.
What type of doctor treats strokes?
Brain scans will show what type of stroke you had. You may also work with a neurologist who treats brain disorders, a neurosurgeon that performs surgery on the brain, or a specialist in another area of medicine.
How many days after TIA can you get a stroke?
The risk of stroke within 90 days of a TIA may be as high as 17%, with the greatest risk during the first week. 6. That’s why it’s important to treat the underlying causes of stroke, including heart disease, high blood pressure, atrial fibrillation (fast, irregular heartbeat), high cholesterol, and diabetes.
What are the best utensils for stroke survivors?
Adaptive utensils for stroke recovery include knives, forks, and spoons with special grip or rocking features, as well as accessories and devices that make it easier to use common utensils.
What is a saebo?
Whether you are a caregiver, occupational therapist or even a stroke survivor yourself, Saebo provides stroke survivors young or old access to transformative and life changing products. We pride ourselves on providing affordable, easily accessible, and cutting-edge solutions to people suffering from impaired mobility and function. We have several products to help with the stroke recovery and rehabilitation process. From the SaeboFlex, which allows clients to incorporate their hand functionally in therapy or at home, to the SaeboMAS, an unweighting device used to assist the arm during daily living tasks and exercise training, we are commitment to helping create innovative products for stroke recovery. Check out all of our product offerings or let us help you find which product is right for you.
Why are finger loop utensils important?
This is important, because tendons may tighten and neurological connections may be lost if muscles remain in sedentary, unnatural positions.
Can stroke survivors use cutting boards?
Stroke survivors looking to do some cooking and prep work around the kitchen often need to look beyond just adaptive utensils. Cutting boards are just one of the many kitchen staples that normally require two hands to use, but for which there are alternatives for stroke survivors.
Can a stroke cause loss of motor function?
Every stroke survivor has unique symptoms, but complete or partial loss of motor function is a very common side effect of stroke-related brain damage. Because certain nerves and neurological connections may have been damaged during stroke, many patients lose strength or control of the body parts they depend on for everyday tasks.
Can you use both hands during a stroke?
Though gripping small tools or using both hands may not be possible early in the stroke recovery process, many patients have seen enormous benefits from the adaptive kitchen aids we’ve covered.
Can you cut food on one side of the brain?
Brain damage on one side of the brain may only affect one side of the body. If you have function in one hand but cannot use the other to grip or hold items, cutting food may be difficult.
What to cook after stroke?
When you are starting to cook on your own after your stroke, start with simple recipes that do not require a lot of exact timing. Soups and stews are a great idea, as are meals in the skillet. Dinners that you can just pop in the oven also work well, such as pot pies or pizzas.
Why is cooking important for stroke survivors?
Many people really enjoy cooking for themselves, as it is one of the major aspects of independent living. Cooking also gives many people a lot of joy, so it is very important for many stroke survivors to be productive in the kitchen again. There are many easy things that the stroke patient can do to make cooking easy and enjoyable again.
What is the hardest part of cooking after a stroke?
Cutting and slicing is probably the hardest part of cooking after a stroke. We recommend that you tell a friend some of the recipes that you want to cook in the next week. Then, your friend can help you do some of the more intricate prep work.
Can stroke patients cook?
There are many easy things that the stroke patient can do to make cooking easy and enjoyable again. There also are wonderful stroke cooking products available that make cooking much simpler with limited use of the arms.
What is the best way to strengthen your facial muscles after a stroke?
3. Pinwheel for oral motor strengthening. As you know our patients with a stroke can suffer from facial droop. Blowing on the pinwheel can increase facial muscle strength and can help increase oral motor strength for eating, for smiling, and so much more. You can also use the pinwheel for finger isolation!
What can you use a tennis ball for?
You can also use the tennis ball for grasp and release, gross motor, coordination, flexion/extension of digits while rolling ball on the table, etc. I’m sure you have much more ideas in your OT repertoire, too! 3. Pinwheel for oral motor strengthening.
Why is it so hard to swallow after a stroke?
Difficulty with swallowing (or dysphagia) happens after a stroke because the brain doesn't activate muscle reflexes at the back of the throat quickly enough, so that food or liquids pass down ...
Can a stroke cause loss of taste?
Loss of taste, or dysgeusia, may occur following a stroke, but is far less common than other side effects of stroke. One woman experienced a change in taste following her stroke and was no longer able to eat certain foods.
Can you feed someone through a tube?
When someone has a severe swallowing problem it may be necessary to feed him/her through a tube that goes through the nose, down the throat and into the stomach . One man said the naso-gastric tube made him sick. The medical staff stopped using it once he was able to swallow pureed foods.
What is a good gift for a stroke patient?
A pill box organizer can make a great gift for stroke patients, particularly if they take pills at certain times in the day. It’s a particularly great gift for someone that struggles with memory after stroke, since the pill box shows when they’ve taken something or not. See pill organizers on Amazon ».
How to recover from a stroke?
Eating healthy is an essential part of stroke recovery. The brain and body both require good nutrients to heal and recover. A great way to get healthy food is to cook at home. However, driving to the grocery store and navigating the aisles can be difficult for some survivors.
What is FitMi therapy?
FitMi home therapy, from Flint Rehab, is a device specifically designed to help stroke patients improve mobility at home. Because the device encourages high repetition of therapeutic exercises, it helps the brain rewire itself faster than traditional therapy. As a result, patients see fast improvements. The reviews speak for themselves.
How many pages are there in the PDF for stroke survivors?
You’ll get a 20-page PDF with our BEST tips for stroke survivors and caregivers. Click here to download the PDF (link will open a pop-up that will not interrupt your reading)
What to do for tremors after stroke?
Liftware makes tremor-canceling utensils that help cancel out shaking hands so that stroke patients can eat without spilling. (It’s actually intended for Parkinson’s, but works just as well for some stroke patients!)
Can you get acupuncture for a stroke?
Acupuncture Gift Card. Acupuncture may help with stroke recovery, but everyone responds differently. As a result, stroke patients won’t know if acupuncture helps until they try it. Unfortunately, with the high cost of stroke recovery, many stroke patients can’t afford extraneous therapies like acupuncture.
Can stroke patients exercise?
When rehabilitation exercise is paired with electrical stimulation, studies have shown that stroke patients see better motor improvements than just exercise alone. If they already have a solid home exercise regimen, consider giving them the gift of electrical stimulation to take their recovery the extra mile. If you buy this for them, be sure to encourage them to discuss this treatment with a therapist first, who can guide them on safety measures.