Impact of stroke awareness month on young carers
May is stroke awareness month and The Stroke Asociation is emphasing on the physical impact of stroke in regards to speech.
The effects of a stroke can vary and the stroke association have listed the physical effects on their website. Some survivors may expirence issues like physical feelings of numbness and muscle weakness.
The main effect the association wants to highlight this year is aphasia, which is when someone who suffers a stroke experiences issues with their speech and communication.
The NHS guidance on how to spot a stroke
The FAST acronym lists too look out for the person Face Arms Speach and Time to call 911.
The acronym lists that a sufferers Face might be drooped on one side, usually on the left. They might not be able to smile as both their eyes and mouth can become semi or fully paralyzed.
The suffer may also have problem lifting their Arms or keeping them up as they feel numb.
Another sign to spot out is the persons speech. Due to their mouth being drooped, their speech may also be slurred or garbled.
If you notice these sign call 9-1-1 straight away.
Other signs to look out for before physical symptoms show is a that a person might struggle with their cognitive skills and struggle to comprehend or process any information.
There could also be a change in mood and some memory loss around the time one might experience a stroke.
In 2020 Elizabeth Argent was 15 when her mum, 52 had a stroke.
Elizabeth remembered the day being “a mad rush of emotions and actions, I had no idea what was going on exactly and the doctors weren’t telling me much as I was too young.”
Elizabeth spent all day in the hospital next to her mum, unable to talk to her or understand what the doctors were doing.
How a parent having a stroke can impact a family
The stroke association explained that stroke is one of the leading causes of disability in the UK
Some strokes vary person to person and can lead to sevre health issues, such as becoming disabled and unable to move.
Elizabeth’s mum’s stroke had initially left her paralyzed on her left side and unable to speak.
“We experienced an alien role reversal. I was now the caregiver in the house and was the one always worrying about her. It was almost like I was a mother and she was my toddler.”
During Elizabeth’s teenage years she was balancing school, GCSE’s and looking after her mum as she soon had to stop working, leading to her getting a small part-time job.
“It was a particularly hard time managing everything with very little support.”
The stroke association hosts a stroke support group every 2nd and 3rd Monday of the month in Sheffield at the Salvation Army Citadel.
This month the association will also be organising events from mid-may to raise awareness and support families affected by stroke in Sheffield.