Of course this all depends upon YOU and upon the PATIENT. Your age, your strength, your circumstances. The patient's age, disabilities, personality. To say the least, and as with ANY caregiving, it would be a dedication of your life, basically, to this person in many circumstances. Only you know yourself well enough to assess whether or not you are up to this task or wish to take it on. I was an RN who loved her job, and found it a joy to care for patients. It was always clear to me, however, that I could not take on such a job 24/7 for either love nor money.
I’ve done it for a previous spouse who was abusive before the stroke. In fact It was a month before I’d planned to leave him for his abuse and alcoholism. I’d already left him once. After his stroke I felt that I should not leave him in that condition. I stayed for two more years until he could take care of himself. Bad temper gets worse after a stroke due to emotional lability. He couldn’t always control his bladder. He threatened . He refused to take medication that would have helped. He got booze and I found bottles everywhere. My life was much restricted as it was hard to go out and I had to give up my job. Whatever good was left in him the stroke took away. Don’t do it. Even if you live and think you can manage, you’ll go through changes too. Then you realize you wasted what could have been good years for you.
Your question is very vague, but the short answer to your question is yes. We really need more information to answer you properly, but depending on the severity of the stroke, there really is no reason you can't care for someone who has had a stroke. Unless you yourself are in poor health and just physically can't do it. My husband had a massive stroke at the age of 48 which left completely paralyzed on his right side, unable to talk and walk and with difficulty comprehending the spoken word. After many months of therapy, PT, OT and Speech, he was able walk with a brace on his leg, speak short sentences and words and return home, where I cared for him at home until he died in 2020 at the age of 72. He developed many other health issues from his stroke like seizures,(which started about a year after his stroke and is very common with stroke survivors)and eventually vascular dementia, which is what killed him, but I was grateful that I was able to care for him at home all that time. Was it easy? No, not always, but he was my husband and I was going to do whatever it took to make sure he received the best care possible. And now that it's all said and done, I would do it all over again for the man I loved. I wish you well.
Only you know yourself well enough to assess whether or not you are up to this task or wish to take it on. I was an RN who loved her job, and found it a joy to care for patients. It was always clear to me, however, that I could not take on such a job 24/7 for either love nor money.
ADVERTISEMENT
My husband had a massive stroke at the age of 48 which left completely paralyzed on his right side, unable to talk and walk and with difficulty comprehending the spoken word.
After many months of therapy, PT, OT and Speech, he was able walk with a brace on his leg, speak short sentences and words and return home, where I cared for him at home until he died in 2020 at the age of 72.
He developed many other health issues from his stroke like seizures,(which started about a year after his stroke and is very common with stroke survivors)and eventually vascular dementia, which is what killed him, but I was grateful that I was able to care for him at home all that time. Was it easy? No, not always, but he was my husband and I was going to do whatever it took to make sure he received the best care possible.
And now that it's all said and done, I would do it all over again for the man I loved.
I wish you well.