Stroke Caretakers

Caretakers often times do the "heavy lifting" when helping a loved one recover from a major illness such as a stroke. What would you do if you found yourself suddenly responsible for taking care of someone who had recently had a stroke? Understanding the disease, taking care of the loved ones' day-to-day needs and planning for their care in the future can be a little less overwhelming when you tackle each issue head on. Questions like the following will need to be dealt with fairly immediately:

• Where are all of the important legal and financial papers?
• How much money is in the stroke survivor's bank account(s)?
• What bills need to be paid and in what order?
• Will the patient need in-home care? And if so, how much and for how long?
• Has the employer of the stoke victim been contacted? Is there a plan for time off, benefits and/or workman's compensation?
• Does his/her health insurance coverage have a "cap?" At what point are you responsible?

Once the reality of the situation sinks in, the caretaker will need to address the following:

• Consider paying for help - Some strokes are mild and won't require help outside of the survivor's family, but many times long-term rehabilitation is needed. If your loved one is returning home, outside help may alleviate some of your concerns.
• Finding money – In addition to money from your loved one's job and disability benefits, look into other sources such as the following to help pay bills: retirement plans, veteran's benefits, life insurance, long-term care insurance, reverse mortgage, and personal property.
• Paying bills – Make sure your loved one continues to pay his/her bills on time. Call creditors, utility companies and others to make them aware of the situation. Payment plans can often be created.
• Spending plan – With limited income, and expenses likely increasing after a stroke, it's important to develop a budget or a spending plan for your loved one. This will help to ensure that you know how much money your loved one has to live on every month.
• Support groups for caretakers – Your local hospital will more than likely be able to refer you to a support group for people like you. The Internet is also another great resource for online support. Being a caretaker comes with its own emotional issues in addition to the financial realities. Receiving and giving support should be a top priority to help you deal with these responsibilities.
• Online help – Harness the power of the Internet to find out more about the disease and how it affects the patient, you and other family members.