Making a Bedroom Safer for a Stroke Survivor

For Stroke survivors, maintaining an independent and safe lifestyle after the stroke can be challenging, especially when left with limited dexterity or partial paralysis

There also needs to be discussion about the height of the bed: A hospital bed would be helpful to some stroke survivors, and in some cases may be covered by insurance, but there are also charity sources. Sometimes the mattress of an existing bed may be inappropriated for someone after a stroke; hard, old, saggy, or even too soft., and a regular bed may be too high or too low for ease in getting out of it or into it. There needs to be appropriate room warmth and cooling, safely arranged and easily accessible to caregivers, at least, if not the stroke survivor, and for the stroke survivor, remote controls can be a blessing for a anyone who is alert whether verbal or mobile or not. and in no case should a stroke survivor be using an electric blanket, or electric heating pads, but bedding must not be too heavy, either. Circulation is threatened when limbs are cold, and that must be paid attention to and dealt with. There are devices for aiding a mobile but impaired stroke survivor in getting out of bed, or in sitting up. There needs to be a convenient arrangement about lighting, beside table lamps, which may not be safe when one's movements are difficult or imprecise, or a touch-on/off switch or remote controled lighting source may be helpful. Good lighting is essential in thwarting confusion. There needs to be discussion and re-arrangements about grab-rails and bed rails, and various supports, about the flooring and or carpeting and rugs underfoot, especially for a storke survivor with mobility problems. For a bed bound survivor, it is for sometimes a help if the furniture is rearranged so there is a window view of some sort, and attention paid to the fact that for some survivors mirrors are NOT helpful, and can be confusing and even dangerous in some cases. This article is helpful, but severely limitted, and it needs to have a widened scope, or needs to be supplemented with other articles linked to it.

I'd check out a device called lace-amatic for making it easier for wearing laced shoes. It doesn't require any grasping strength to operate and will work with a push of the heel of a hand. It always leaves the shoe fully open for easy exit or re entry but provides the full athletic lacing support of conventional laces.