Stroke Recovery Guide

An Overview of Important Steps to Take in the Weeks Following a Stroke

Nearly 800,000 people suffer a stroke in the United States every year, and about 140,000 of those people die. That makes stroke one of the leading causes of disability and death in America.

Fortunately, the majority of people who experience a stroke do survive, and many will go on to live full and productive lives.

Some people experience a complete recovery from stroke; others may hope to experience a significant if not total recovery.

Emergency medical treatment is critical to preventing death and minimizing the risk of long-term harm. Beyond that, the steps you and your family take in the weeks and months after the stroke can have a substantial impact on your recovery.

What follows is a general Stroke Recovery Guide, with an important overview of some of the chief considerations to keep in mind as you plan the path forward.

Spontaneous Recovery: What You Need to Know

It’s common for stroke victims to experience a widespread loss of various functions and abilities soon after a stroke.

The good news is that these losses are not necessarily permanent. Most survivors experience some degree of “spontaneous recovery,” during which some or all of those functions gradually return to normal.

For most patients, spontaneous recovery is most pronounced in the first few weeks of medical care (“acute care”) but may continue for many months or even years.

Getting good acute care and follow-up treatment can increase the likelihood and extent of spontaneous recovery.

Arranging for Discharge Support

As you begin to plan your transition away from the hospital or assisted living facility and back to your home, you will need to make sure that your new needs can be safely and adequately met inside your home before returning there.

Planning for discharge means:

• Researching your options for rehabilitation (working carefully with your medical care team), which may include in-home rehabilitative care
• Arranging for caregivers to visit or live in your home, depending on your needs. These may be medical professionals (such as nurses) or family caregivers.
• Making arrangements for meal delivery, transportation to doctor visits, frequent visitors, and so on
• Ensuring access to the medications you need without missing any doses
• Tending to any other needs you may have once you are living back in your home

In addition to physical disability, stroke survivors frequently struggle with depression, anxiety, and profound frustrations concerning their new way of life. It is important to keep these considerations in mind when planning for discharge support.

Preventing Another Stroke

Depending on the type and cause of your stroke, you may now be at a higher risk of experiencing a second stroke.

It’s important that you work with your doctor to identify your risk factors and take every reasonable precaution to reduce the likelihood of a second stroke, which could be more serious than the first.

For example, your health care provider may encourage you to change your eating habits, get more exercise, and lower your blood pressure.

Claiming Compensation for Your Damages After a Stroke

While some strokes are unavoidable or true accidents, others are the result of preventable medical malpractice. In some cases, stroke may occur as a secondary complication of a botched medical procedure, a medication error, a surgical error, or a misdiagnosis.

In these and other situations, you may be entitled to financial compensation for your damages related to the stroke. Florida medical malpractice law is complex, and there’s a lot to know about your rights. Likewise, those who have lost a loved one to stroke may have a claim under Florida wrongful death law, which is also complex.

To learn more about your options and how the law might apply in your situation, we encourage you to contact the Miami medical malpractice lawyers at Kaire & Heffernan, LLC.

Schedule a Free Consultation with Our Miami Medical Malpractice Attorneys

Kaire & Heffernan, LLC is a Miami medical malpractice law firm with years of experience in helping Florida families recover the full and fair financial justice they deserve.

If you have suffered a stroke and believe medical negligence might have played a role, we encourage you to contact our office and learn more about your rights under Florida law.

We will not charge you a fee for our services unless and until we recover compensation in your case. And your initial consultation is absolutely free.

To learn more, contact Kaire & Heffernan, LLC and request a free, no-obligation consultation today.