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Stroke Resources
Life After Stroke
If you or a loved one has had a stroke, you might be wondering when life will get back to “normal,” or if it ever will. Recovery is different for everyone, and while some people will recover fully, others may have long-term or lifelong disabilities. Recovery may take weeks, months or even years.
This page is meant to be a resource for you, your family or caregiver. It includes information about support groups and organizations for stroke survivors, family and caregivers, behaviors and actions you can take to prevent another stroke, some lifestyle changes you may experience after stroke and what kind of support you may receive after stroke.
The stroke care team at The University of Kansas Health System compiled this information for those who have been treated for stroke and their families and others who support them.
Resource and education organizations and support groups
Preventing secondary stroke
A person who has had a stroke is at high risk to have another. The American Heart Association found that 1 in 4 stroke survivors has another stroke within 5 years. This means it’s important to take steps to alleviate those factors that contribute to stroke that you can control. These factors include:
- Alcohol abuse
- Carotid, peripheral and other artery disease
- Cigarette smoking
- Diabetes
- High blood cholesterol
- High blood pressure – also known as hypertension
- Obesity
- Poor eating habits
- Sedentary lifestyle
A significant step to preventing a secondary stroke is to change your eating and exercise habits if needed. Eating a healthy diet can help reduce your weight, cholesterol levels and blood pressure. A healthy diet is rich in fruits and vegetable, lean meats, and whole-grain, high-fiber foods.
Another step you can take to prevent a secondary stroke is to take steps – get moving. Physical activity can help your cardiac function, blood pressure, risk and severity of diabetes and improve your strength, balance and endurance. Go for a walk, take the stairs, do whatever you can to make your life more active.
Finally, if you smoke, quit!
Lifestyle changes after stroke
Following a stroke, you or your family may notice you having more difficulty with everyday tasks. Difficulties or changes in how you feel or function may mean you need more supervision or assistance at home. Some physical or mental changes you may experience include:
- Aphasia, a language disorder that can occur when a stroke affects the part of the brain that controls speech and language.
- Caregiver burden is common among those who help care for a stroke survivor.
- Falls can lead to more injuries and your risk of falling increases after stroke.
- Fatigue, both mental and physical, is common after stroke.
- Grief is common after a life-changing event such as stroke and can lead to depression if it is not addressed.
- Pain such as headache, joint pain, or pain experienced on the side of the body affected by the stroke may occur after stroke.
- Vision changes can also occur after a stroke and may include double vision, blurred vision or other vision problems.