Patient education: Stroke – Discharge instructions (The Basics)

What are discharge instructions? — Discharge instructions are information about how to take care of yourself after getting medical care for a health problem.

What is a stroke? — Stroke means a part of the brain is damaged because of a problem with blood flow (figure 1). Strokes can happen when:

●An artery going to the brain gets clogged or closes off, and part of the brain goes without blood for too long.

●An artery breaks open and starts bleeding into or around the brain.

How do strokes affect people? — The effects of a stroke depend on a lot of things. This includes:

●Which part and how much of the brain is affected

●How quickly the stroke is treated

Some people who have a stroke have no lasting effects. But many people have serious problems after a stroke. For example, they might be unable to speak or feed themselves. Or they might be unable to move 1 side of their body.

How do I care for myself at home? — Ask the doctor or nurse what you should do when you go home. Make sure that you understand exactly what you need to do to care for yourself. Ask questions if there is anything you do not understand.

Your care depends on your needs and how your stroke affected you.

You might need:

●Rehabilitation care – This is sometimes called "rehab." The goal of rehab is to help you regain some of the abilities you lost. This might slowly help you get back to your daily activities. Rehab might include:

•Physical therapy – This can help with how you move and your strength.

•Occupational therapy – This can help you learn new ways of doing everyday tasks.

•Speech therapy – This can help with eating and talking.

•Working with a psychologist or psychiatrist – They can help you with your mood and behavior. They can also help you learn ways to cope with problems from the stroke.

•Talking to a social worker – They can help set up help for when you return to your home.

●Help with your daily activities – This can include help with things like:

•Bathing, getting dressed, and getting around

•Cooking and cleaning

•Taking care of your money or business affairs

•Driving you where you need to go

●Changes in your home – These can make it simpler or safer for you to move around or do normal activities. Examples include ramps for a wheelchair or railings to hold as you walk, use the bathroom, or sit down.

●Help with exercises on specific body parts that were affected by the stroke – Your caregiver, therapist, or a professional aide might have to help you with these.

●A caregiver to stay with you – This is important for safety reasons if you need help to move about, or if you have had changes in your behavior, judgment, or memory.

Your doctor or nurse might also recommend things you can do to lower your risk of having another stroke, such as:

●Lifestyle changes – These include getting regular physical activity, keeping a healthy body weight, improving your diet, and avoiding smoking.

●Medicines – For most people, this includes medicines to control your blood pressure and your cholesterol. If your doctor prescribed medicines, follow all instructions for taking them.

What follow-up care do I need? — Your doctor or nurse will tell you if you need to make a follow-up appointment. If so, make sure that you know when and where to go. Also, keep your appointments for rehab care.

When should I call the doctor? — Call for emergency help right away if you think that you might be having another stroke (in the US and Canada, call 9-1-1). Symptoms of a stroke can include:

●Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm, or leg, especially on 1 side of the body

●Sudden confusion, or trouble speaking or understanding

●Sudden trouble seeing in 1 or both eyes

●Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, or loss of balance or coordination

●Sudden severe headache with no known cause

Call your doctor for advice if:

●You have problems taking your medicines.

●You have trouble moving your bowels or emptying your bladder.

●You think that you might be depressed, for example, you feel sad most of the time or have lost interest in things you used to enjoy.

●There are problems with your home care.

More on this topic

Patient education: Stroke (The Basics)
Patient education: Recovery after stroke (The Basics)
Patient education: Lowering the risk of having a stroke (The Basics)
Patient education: Transient ischemic attack (The Basics)
Patient education: Medicines after an ischemic stroke (The Basics)
Patient education: Intracerebral hemorrhage (The Basics)
Patient education: High blood pressure in adults (The Basics)
Patient education: High cholesterol (The Basics)
Patient education: Atrial fibrillation (The Basics)
Patient education: What can go wrong after a heart attack? (The Basics)
Patient education: Arteriovenous malformations in the brain (The Basics)

Patient education: Stroke symptoms and diagnosis (Beyond the Basics)
Patient education: Ischemic stroke treatment (Beyond the Basics)
Patient education: Hemorrhagic stroke treatment (Beyond the Basics)
Patient education: Transient ischemic attack (Beyond the Basics)