Columbia Aged Care

A stroke is a serious medical issue that can affect your brain and disrupt the normal functioning of your body.

A stroke occurs when the blood supply to your brain is suddenly disrupted. Blood is carried to your brain by blood vessels called arteries. When these arteries are blocked blood is unable to reach your brain.

When the blood flow to your brain stops your brain does not get enough oxygen, which can cause serious damage to your brain cells. If you do not receive medical assistance quickly then parts of your brain will be damaged beyond repair.

The effects of a stroke can vary depending on your body and the size of the stroke. Small strokes may result in minor effects. Larger strokes can cause a coma, paralysis to the body or sometimes even death.

If a stroke occurs it is important to know the warning signs and to seek medical assistance urgently.

The Stroke Foundation has some great advice about the signs and prevention strategies for a stroke. They recommend the F.A.S.T detection method to help you determine if someone is experiencing a stroke.

Here is the F.A.S.T warning signs of a stroke:

1. Face: Check a person’s face to see if part of it has dropped down. For example, the side of their mouth may have drooped.
2. Arms: Check if they have mobility in both their arms.
3. Speech: Check if their speech is slurred. Determine if they can still understand you.
4. Time: If any of these signs occur call 000 immediately. Calling for medical assistance quickly can mean the difference between experiencing a good recovery or a severe disability.

Your chance of getting a stroke is increased if you suffer from an irregular heartbeat, high cholesterol, diabetes or high blood pressure. A stroke can be prevented if these risk factors are managed correctly by consulting with your doctor to receive the right treatment

You can start taking simple steps to reduce your risk of stroke, such as:

• Quit smoking
• Reduce your alcohol consumption
• Eat healthy meals
• Being physically active

By taking these active steps to prevent your risk of a stroke, and by knowing the warning signs, you can greatly reduce the severity and long term damage of a stroke.

For more information and to view the F.A.S.T warning signs visit the Stroke Foundation website.

As a carer it is extremely important to manage your loved ones medication to ensure they remain healthy. If medications are taken incorrectly they can cause dangerous side effects such as high blood pressure, incontinence, constipation, skin rashes or falls.

Medications must be administered at the right time with the right dosage, which can be difficult when your loved one has a variety of different medications.

Aged Carer has provided some useful tips for managing your loved ones medication.

• Visit only one pharmacist: It’s important to establish a regular pharmacist because they will know the history of your loved one’s medication. They can also consult with your local doctor if there is an issue.
• Use Webster or blister packs: Your loved one’s pharmacist can pack their medication into blister or Webster packs, which arranges their medications into separate days. This allows your loved one to access their medications safely and prevent over medicating.
• Understand all medications: Read the consumer medication leaflet inside the medication package and keep them in a file for future reference. When you know the ingredients in your loved one’s medication you can help to prevent possible allergic reactions.
• Know the side effects of medications: Ask your loved one’s doctor about the possible side effects they can experience from their medication. This will help you to assess the severity of any side effects that occur.
• Keep an up-to-date medication list: This list should detail all of your loved ones medication, allergies and side effects to possible medications. It can be used in emergencies or by respite carers.

If you notice that your loved one is experiencing side effects from their medication consult with their doctor as soon as possible. However with these helpful tips on managing your loved ones medication you can help to prevent medication errors and keep your loved one healthy.

Read the full articlehere.

When planning a trip all travellers should be careful to ensure that they will stay healthy and safe while they are away. Older people need to be more careful as they may have a few extra concerns.

Nobody wants to fall ill or be worried about health and safety while on holidays – holidays are meant to be relaxing. Therefore, to make the planning process easier when it comes to health and safety, here are some tips the Better Health Channel has provided for travelling seniors:

Pre-trip planning:

• Research the areas you will be visiting and note down the medical facilities there.
• Research factors that may affect you such as climate, language and culture.
• Make arrangements for mobility needs in advance.
• Organise travel insurance.

Your Luggage:

• Make sure your carry-on bag contains everything you will need for the entire flight including a medical kit with medications, painkillers and band-aids.
• Take a pill box with separate weekday compartments to ensure your daily medication routine is not forgotten.
• Take a spare pair of glasses.

Safety Suggestions:

• Don’t travel around at night.
• Don’t wear expensive jewellery.
• Wear valuables on a belt worn under clothes and next to the skin.
• If you are going overseas, carry with you the contact details of the Australian Embassy in case you need help.

Read the full article here.