Helping stoke patient communicate

[Putali]

HI, My father-in-law has a stroke 3 weeks ago, he had a crainectomy and has a tracheostomy and a PEG placed.  He has now got Pneumonia and is found to have TB.  He was - before the pneumonia -  in the stroke unit but is back in ICU.  He is paralysed on the right hand side and has no speech or cough ability.
1.   The nurses are doing physio therapy with him but what can we do as a family when we are with  
      him?  Are there any excercises we can do with him?
2.   How can we communicate with him, he can squeeze our hand but gets confused when we ask    
      for 2 squeezes for no and one squeeze for yes.  Any suggestions?

Thanks

[vega1318]

if your father can raise his left arm and could point to pictures or letters, try that mode of communication.   there are various programs and technologies out there for patients who are paralyzed -- i would contact a good rehabilitation facility that deals with traumatic brain injury patients or spinal cord injuries (or lou gehric centers) - they may have some programs to direct you to.

as a family, your job is to be supportive, not to frustrate him, to encourage him and let him rest when he needs it.   stroke victims require a lot of rest but they are also eager to function again.   once he is out of the ICU, that is the time to get him into rehabilitation.   you can learn a lot of techniques and exercises from physical and occupational therapists once they start working with him.

[Putali]

Thanks alot for your advice... if you want to track his progress I will be updating my journal regulary.  Thanks again.

[walangpuwang]

My father also had a massive stroke 2 months ago,  like your father his right body is paralyzed, he is also not able to speak and swallow.  He has pneumonia when he was in the icu and we decided to take him out.  of the icu and transferred him to a private room.  My siblings took turn in suctioning his phlegm to avoid putting a whole in his throat.  They turn him every hour so as not to develop any bed sores.  We always talk to him, tell him how much we love him and after 2 weeks, he is out of the hospital.  

My father is at home now, we have caregivers watching over him 24-7, he has therapists who comes to our house everyday.  The most important thing is we show him that we love him.