The father of a very good friend of mine had a stroke about a week ago. He seems to be coming back physically OK, but mentally he has some serious issues.
He seems to have suddenly lost the part of his brain that inhibits inappropriate behavior. He has started using racist remarks that might have been in common usage when he was a child; he was feeling up one of the nurses today when she was attending him and so forth. He also does not understand why he can’t go home, and tries to bully the staff into getting what he wants.
This reminds me of some of the things my father did when he got Alzheimer’s and lost his mind.
With a stroke, what are the odds of him returning to some semblance of his previous mental abilities? Is there anything that can be done to speed or further the process? Can anyone suggest a good family support website?
I know how I felt when my dad had the Alzheimer’s kick in full blast, and I can hear some of those feelings in my friend’s voice. I don’t want to give him false hope, but I would like to offer him some straight dope.
Note to Mods: In case it is not obvious, this man is in a hospital and is being cared for by professionals. I am asking this question so I can help educate his family. Thanks.
Always tricky to try and predict the future of a stroke pt. Every case is unique, a different portion of the brain is injured and results in a different behavioural profile. Also how much adaptation and compensation is hard to predict. Don’t think I have anything else to offer.
Daughter of a stroke victim, here. All you can offer really are the words “Give it time.” Sometimes, enough of the brain recovers for something like normality to return, but all one can do is wait to see. As outlierrn said – it’s tricky, there’s no hard and fast advice, and each case is as individual as we all are.
I cared for my stroke surviving Mother In Law for many years and have seen exactly what you are speaking of.
If you put food in front of her she would begin to eat it with her hands, :eek: !
This was the exact opposite of who she was before the stroke. She also used racial remarks that were probably last in common usage generations ago. It is truly shocking to be around, to be sure. They seem to have lost an inhibitor of some kind. And of course, each case is so individual.
But we found she could learn what is ‘appropriate’. And she did, but the challenge lies in parenting the parent without it freaking out the caregiver and maintaining the dignity of the patient at the same time.
This gentleman needs to be told it’s not appropriate, probably repeatedly. This is very likely happening already. It may or may not produce results.
Whether or not they can relearn such things is a crap shoot though, it’s always wait and see.
That was the plot line for “The Golden Girls.” Sofia was like that cause she had a stroke which affected the part of her brain that controls what she says.