Can you have post stroke symptoms even years afterwards?
The general rule of thumb regarding stroke symptoms is that they improve slowly over time. Any new symptoms should prompt a workup for another disease.
It sounds to me like the person in question here has a neurodegenerative disorder - such as Alzheimer's Disease, Fronto-Temporal Dementia, Lewy Body Dementia or others. The stroke likely made this worse, by severely damaging the normal reserve brain capacity. Most people are able to cope with some neuro-degeneration, such that their symptoms do not appear until later years. However, if a major damaging event has already compromised their brain function, the symptoms of their neuro-degenerative disease may become evident sooner than expected.
I recommend bringing this person to a Neurologist, or specifically to a Cognitive Specialist (a subspecialty of Neurology) for further evaluation and treatment.
