Stroke Case Study –

Mrs E age 57 had a stroke earlier this year. She was looked after very well in hospital and was discharged after 7 weeks.

She had a short course of physiotherapy provided by the NHS on discharge and has made a reasonable recovery.

A RED ARC Personal Nurse Adviser contacted her 2 weeks after she came home and explained the service.

Mrs E said that she and her husband were feeling anxious and trying hard to come to terms with this life changing event. Mrs E’s thought process was much slower, leading to frustration and bad tempers.

Mr E, who had recently retired, was finding the responsibility of taking care of his previously independent wife, very tough.

The PNA provided information from a specific charity that deals with younger stroke patients – this information includes details of service provision, benefits, dealing with social services, how to prevent another stroke, and much more.

The next time that the Personal Nurse Adviser telephoned Mrs E, they discussed several issues raised in the literature, and the nurse was able to answer questions and give information and support.

Mrs E was delighted to have access to her own nurse and often took the chance to phone RED ARC when she was worried about her progress, or feeling a bit low.

Mr E was finding that he was a bit out of his depth and was pleased to be able to speak to the nurse. The calls were completely confidential and Mr E took the opportunity to express that he felt trapped by his wife’s diagnosis, and guilty about his feelings.

The nurse was able to provide a listening ear on several occasions and Mr E said that he felt so much better, being able to get his negative feelings ‘off his chest’, and be reassured that these were entirely normal reactions.

The PNA has just sent out an excellent book that deals with the emotional rollercoaster of living with someone who has had a stroke; they are both reading it and are very appreciative of the ongoing support and encouragement.

Mrs E says: ‘I was feeling very alone but now I’ve got my own nurse I can share how I feel about things; she has helped us both’



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