What home care aids can help with stroke?

There are many home care aids that can help a person after a stroke.

Recovering from stroke often involves learning or relearning simple everyday tasks. Most people experience some loss of mobility, strength or function after a stroke.

Problems with memory and decision making can also mean some people can't remember the steps involved in every day tasks.

During rehabilitation from stroke a person may come up with their own innovative way of doing things and in time, become less reliant on a carer or home care aids.

An occupational therapist can help choose the most appropriate home care aid for a person after a stroke. 

In this article:

• Home care aids for the kitchen
• Home care aids to help with eating and drinking
• Home care aids to help with dressing
• Home care aids to help in the bathroom

Home care aids for the kitchen

Most standard kitchen benches and stove tops are too high for a person in a wheelchair. You may have to adjust a work bench or use a kitchen trolley to transport hot food items to other areas in the house. Try keeping utensils and other items in the one easy to reach spot.

Some people after a stroke have problems distinguishing hot or sharp objects. Controls at the front of a stove are easier and safer to use. Invest in a long oven mitt that extends to the elbow to cover and protect the unaffected forearm from burns. Keep a space by the stove to place hot items. Consider appliances with automatic shut-off for safety.

Handy kitchen aids include:

• Cutting boards with suction cups to prevent slipping and stainless steel spikes to hold food in place when cutting
•  Slip proof matting to anchor bowls for stirring
•  A rocking knife allows you to cut food easily
•  A one-handed can or jar opener
•  Adaptive cutlery with non slip or accentuated grip
•  Combined cutlery like a spoon and fork in one or a fork and knife in one
•  Tongs of any sort for gripping and reaching objects
•  A jug or kettle tipper pours hot liquid into a cup by tipping the stationary jug
•  Blenders for mixing, softening or pureeing food
•  One handled vegetable peelers
•  Saucepan stabilisers hold saucepans in place
•  Buy food cans with pull tabs for easy opening
•  Purchase pre- cut vegetables from the supermarket 

Home care aids to help with eating and drinking

Problems swallowing, pooling of food in the mouth and spillage can make eating and drinking difficult for people after a stroke.

Home care aids to assist with meals include:

•  Non-spill drinking containers with a straw can be ideal for liquids
•  Mugs with lids and two handles
•  Coffee cups made from light weight material with large easy to grip handles
•  Plates with suction cups to avoid plate from slipping
•  Plate guards keep food from being pushed off the plate
•  Plates with sections to separate food
•  Scooper plates (shallow bowls) that allow food to be scooped up with a spoon as it is pushed to one side of the plate
•  Combination cutlery including knife/fork and spoon/fork cutlery allows a person to cut and pick food up with one hand 

Home care aids to help with dressing

Getting dressed involves a sequence of movements that can be difficult for a person after stroke. Consider purchasing adaptive clothing. Home care aids to assist with dressing include:

•  Elastic or coiler shoe laces that do not need to be tied
•  Button hooks for doing up buttons
•  Any clothing with elastic waist bands
•  Clothing with zippers and pull tabs or rings (you can attach a ribbon onto a zipper)
•  Use Velcro to fasten clothing and shoes
•  Make the most of stretchy fabrics
•  Bras that hook up in front
•  Dressing sticks to reach for clothes in the cupboard or pick objects off the floor
•  Long handled shoe horns can help with fitting shoes
•  Purchase adaptive clothing specially designed for people with contracted limbs
•  Backless dresses can reduce discomfort when dressing 

Home care aids to help in the bathroom

Using the bathroom can pose many challenges to a person after a stroke. Most people will need to have the bathroom modified under the guidance of an occupational therapist. Useful home care aids to make bathing safe and simple include:

•  A stable shower chair in a shower recess to sit on and a grab rail to help stand up
•  A hand held shower hose fitted at the correct height for showering when a person is seated
•  If the shower is above the bath instal a bath board to sit on
•  Raised toilet seats with armrests can ease sitting on the toilet
•  Grab rails help with standing and transferring on/off the toilet
•  Commode chairs by the bed can assist with toileting overnight
•  Use pump action soaps to avoid soap debris collecting in the shower and making tiles slippery
•  Keep a urinal by the bed at night in case of emergencies
•  Use flip-top toothpaste
•  Faucets with lever handles and long extensions can help with turning water on and off with a fist or arm movement 

Helpful Hints

•  Attach pocketed pouches to wheelchairs to hold frequently used items on the side or back of the chair for easy access
•  Use a hands free telephone
•  A book holder can help with easy reading
•  Reachers enable you to grasp objects in hard to reach places
•  Wheeled carts or shopping trolleys can be handy for moving objects about the home
•  A fanny purse attached around the waist can carry essential small items that are easy to reach
•  A wheeled tray table can be used to move items between rooms