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Following a stroke, you may find you struggle more to understand, organise, and interpret information.
This can mean that you lose attention quickly or that you struggle to manage risks, plan activities and problem solve.
For further information, see the resources below:
A stroke may affect your eyesight in several ways. It can cause missing areas in your visual field, problems with eye movements, visual processing problems and sensitivity to light. Depending on the way your eyes have been affected, you might be offered different treatment options.
An ophthalmologist is a professional who specialised in diagnosing and treating conditions that affect the eye. If you have noticed changes in your vision, it is important to contact your GP to request a referral for further assessment. If changes in your vision were noted while you were in hospital, it is likely they will have already completed a referral.
Visit the Stroke Association website for further information on vision problems after stroke.
Fatigue is commonly experienced by stroke survivors and can affect your ability to do day-to-day activities or return to hobbies you previously enjoyed. Fatigue is often described as ‘a fatigue like no other’. It can be characterised as a disproportionate sense of tiredness, lack of energy and need to rest. However, rest may not improve it.
You may experience it early or later after a stroke. There are often multiple factors that contribute to the fatigue.
There are various ways to manage your fatigue. Your Occupational Therapist or Physiotherapist may have discussed some of these strategies with you previously.
Visit the Stroke Association website for further information on fatigue after stroke.
There are various apps that can help you track your fatigue levels and prompt when you need to put strategies in place to manage it. You can search for these in your app store.
Visual Inattention/Neglect is a common condition that occurs following a stroke. The person affected is not aware or ignores things on the affected side. They may hear you on the affected side, but they are not able to look at you.
It can result in the person only eating one half of the food on their plate or missing half of the page when they are reading.
It is important to be aware that they might not see you if you approach them on their affected side.
If you are supporting someone with their rehabilitation who has visual inattention, you may be asked to place objects and approach them on their affected side. They are likely to need encouragement to turn their head, to look and maintain their focus to this side.
However, if this condition is more severe, you might be advised to adjust the position of objects to allow them to compensate and use the unaffected side.
There are various apps and devices that can support you if you have a visual impairment: