Stroke Connection - Fall 2013

E V E R Y D A Y SURVIVAL | Connecting You to Helpful Ideas

fter a stroke, routine activities can be a
challenge. Tasks you’ve done routinely —
getting dressed, fixing a sandwich, making the
bed — demand time, attention and sometimes
assistance that was not necessary before the stroke. As an
occupational therapist, I redesign activities so that the demands
— for time, attention and effort — are a better fit for a person’s
abilities. Redesigning activities means altering the method of
the activity, altering the tools used to do the activity, or both.

Redesigning is more than just matching methods or tools to tasks. We are all creatures of habit, and we each handle change differently, so how much redesign of an activity is acceptable is different for each person. Activities have meaning related to memories, roles, culture — so redesign has to respect the meaning of the activity.

Here are some redesign methods (tips) and tools (gadgets) that many people who have had strokes have found useful.

TIPS
Save Energy

Don’t let activities consume more energy than they deserve. The easiest way to do this is to sit rather than stand for any task that can be done sitting down: brushing your teeth, putting on a shirt, making a sandwich, even vacuuming the rug (try it!). Standing when it isn’t necessary is not “exercise.” Sitting when you can is a way to save energy for tasks that have to be done standing, or tasks that demand more physical energy.

Plan and Pace

Energy isn’t all physical. Learning new ways of doing things or having to pay close attention takes mental energy. Brains get tired, too. Pushing yourself when your body or your brain is tired leads to fatigue-related mistakes, difficulty controlling muscles and, sometimes, falls and injuries.

Before you start your day, think ahead. Plan to take breaks or rest. Break up more difficult or energy-consuming tasks into shorter, simpler tasks. Pacing yourself is essential to allow your brain and body to do their best.

Simplify

Simplifying activities is a
great way to save energy and
pace yourself. Simplifying
reduces effort or gets more
results out of a single effort.
Some examples:
• Dressing and undressing is easier when clothing has
fewer fasteners or has hook-and-loop fasteners instead of
buttons or zippers.