After a stroke, your senior loved one will experience weakness on one side of the body, but it’s important to devote time each day to increasing his or her strength, mobility, and coordination. Certain exercises have proven to be helpful in post-stroke therapy, and the stroke care experts at Home Care Assistance have a few suggestions your loved one can try.
LEG EXERCISES
The purpose of leg exercises for senior stroke survivors is to enhance muscle control while reducing spasticity. One exercise for your loved one to try involves lying flat on the ground and gently sliding the affected leg side to side. In the same position, he or she can also perform leg lifts. If the affected leg is too weak, encourage your loved one to start off by moving only the ankle and working up to the whole leg as its strength increases.
HAND EXERCISES
It’s important for your loved one to focus on increasing dexterity when recovering from a stroke. This is true regardless if your loved one is just beginning to regain hand movement, or if he or she already has a good range of motion. Squeezing a rubber ball or building with blocks or LEGO bricks can help increase hand coordination, as can wrapping rubber bands around the fingers and spreading them apart repeatedly.
EYE EXERCISES
Senior stroke survivors often face vision-related challenges, such as double or blurred vision. However, some exercises can help promote your loved one’s eye health. Placing an object near your loved one, then moving that object further away may help. The objective is to have your loved one look back and forth at the object for a short period to redevelop depth perception.
ARM EXERCISES
Following a stroke, your loved one may experience arm spasms, but exercising the arms can increase his or her muscle control. To reduce or eliminate the spasms in the affected side of the body, encourage your loved one to use a resistance band. Tie the resistance band to a stable surface or a door hinge, and have your loved one pull on the band repeatedly and lift his or her arm up and down. If the arm is too weak to complete this exercise, offer to help your loved one until he or she builds enough strength to perform it independently.
Helping your loved one recover from a stroke can be challenging and overwhelming. Let the professionals at Home Care Assistance Victoria step in to assist you. Our expertly trained caregivers can assist with mobility and exercise, provide transportation to medical appointments, and help with a wide variety of daily tasks.
For more information on senior care, call (250) 592-4881 to speak with one of Home Care Assistance Victoria’s dedicated Care Managers. You can also schedule a free in-home consultation!
Home Care Assistance,
1396 Hillside Avenue,
Victoria, B.C.
250-592-4881. 24 hour mobile # 250-217-8310
http://homecareassistancevictoria.ca
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