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A stroke occurs when the blood flow to a part of the brain is stopped due to fragmented blood vessels or blood clots. 

India is observing an increase in people with stroke and is now ranking as the fourth leading cause of death and the fifth leading cause of disability. As per studies, the incidence of stroke in India suggests that out of 1,00,000 population, 105-152 people suffer from stroke annually. However, due to a lack of uniformity in research methods and sources available the data is yet to be validated.

**The various type of strokes are:**

- Ischemic stroke
- Hemorrhagic stroke
- Transient ischemic attack (Mini stroke)

**Signs and symptoms of stroke:**

- Trouble speaking and understanding what others are saying
- Paralysis or numbness of arm, leg, or face
- Problem in vision
- Headache
- Trouble walking
- Dizziness

A **FAST** test is a tool that can be used to check for the most common symptoms of stroke by yourself: 

**Face:** Smile and see if one side of the face drops.

**Arms:** Raise both arms. Does one arm drop down?

**Speech:** Say a short phrase and check for slurred or strange speech.

**Time:** If the answer to any of these is yes, call 102 right away and write down the time when symptoms started.

If the person who suffered a stroke gets the thrombolytic therapy treatment within three hours of suffering, there is a possibility of breaking the clot. This can significantly reduce the chances of negative long-term disabilities in the person. 

The rehabilitation process begins after doctors have assessed and treated any critical conditions in the person with stroke and taken precautionary steps to prevent additional complications. This means rehabilitation begins from the time a person is first admitted to the hospital. The sooner the admission the more is the likelihood of recovering damaged body and brain function.

At Epoch, we have been caring for elders post stroke for many years now. The post-stroke care plays a very important role in the recovery of the elders. We plan the stages of recuperation to help the elder reclaim their independence and get back to normalcy. During the recovery phase from a stroke, both the elderly and their family members must understand that the process is slow and uncertain. This is because the severity of the stroke can vary, and doctors, nurses, and therapists can only estimate the response of each person based on the location of the stroke. 

The few problems associated with a stroke that the elders or any person with stroke can face:

- Hemiplegia ( paralysis of one part of the body) or quadriplegia ( paralysis from the neck down including trunk, legs, and arms)
- Psychological impact: Depression and anxiety
- Swallowing problems
- Cognitive impairment
- Communication problems
- Visual problems
- Difficulty with bladder and bowel control
- Mobility issues

Post-stroke care plan: Being in this field for the last many years, we understand that a post-stroke care plan has its own relevance. After leaving the hospital, the elders will either go to a nursing facility, inpatient rehabilitation center or straight back to their home. The first three months of recovery are when an elder will see the most improvement, and gains may happen rapidly over time. Some stroke survivors will continue to improve after this period, however, if the brain stem got affected during the stroke recovery, it could take up to a year or even longer. We have observed that the majority of improvements happen within the first six months of the initial stroke. A stroke survivor’s ability to improve during this period relies on their individual effort and the support of the caregiver, specialists, nurses, and family. Medication management is very important to be continued as suggested by the Neurologist. During their stay at Epoch for rehabilitation, we take residents to the hospital for regular reviews to understand & know the progress from specialists. 

At Epoch, we provide support to a person with a stroke in multiple effective ways such as by providing a conducive environment, access to specialists, trained caregivers, nursing care, and lots of encouragement, support, and empathy. The carer can help the person to do their physiotherapy in between their sessions with the physiotherapist. Importantly, they need constant emotional support and reassurance that their condition will improve with time. They should be supported with needs they may have like speaking if they have communication problems. Caring for someone after they have had a stroke can be complex & frustrating at times. The family needs to understand and be prepared for changes in behaviour due to certain cognitive and psychological impacts. The carer needs to remain calm and positive, and that is what we train them. Rehabilitation can be a slow and tiring process and there will be times when it seems as little progress has been made. Encouraging and praising any progress no matter how small it is can help someone suffering from a stroke achieve long-term goals. 

While every stroke survivor has a different and challenging path, this timeline covers the major milestones that they can expect during the recovery process. It is important to realize that it will take constant and consistent work and relearning, as well as adjustments and help from family and friends, for stroke patients to successfully recover.

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Normalizing life after stroke

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There’s the music of sarod playing in the background while I write this, helps me write my memoirs!

When I was a child, I used to write diaries. What’s enticing to me at that point in time was the smell of new vintage-looking pages, and a unique feeling to ink it down. It all started then. Who knew the passion for writing would grow so strongly on me!

Hi, I’m Sneha, Business Assistant & Content Writer at Epoch. Yes, I own these words and wear them with pride. The journey to earn this was pretty savage, and I’ll like you to be a part of this! Hence, sharing a page from my memoir.

It was the dawn of the year 2020 when I promised myself to come out of the University with a Mass Communication and Journalism degree in one hand and a placement in other. Things started turning upside down when the covid wave came along and washed away all the aspirations I had of starting my career in a corporate world. Later that year, after graduating, I started freelancing.

Little did I know that the universe had something else up in its sleeves.  On 1st Feb, I started my journey at Epoch, and it’s already a year now! I’ll need pinches from myself to believe so. When I stepped out of my comfort zone, came to a new city, I met amazing people, especially women, who inspired me in the most unusual ways. It is my sheer luck and fortune that I landed in Epoch right after college. The journey of amazement and learning didn’t stop for me, I would say.

How often does it happen that a CEO of an organization holds your hand, mentors you, and walks you through your journey? Well, happened to me and to all those who started anew! Here, at Epoch, I saw myself under the guidance of domain experts. From each one of them, I learnt something, both applicable in personal and professional lives. My team pushed me one notch beyond my threshold, surprisingly that brought different colours to my work. To date, I am told to be the owner of not only my projects, but also my decisions, successes, and failures. I am learning.

Epoch has played a vast role in shaping me into Sneha 2.0. If you know me and don’t believe, let’s go out for a cup of coffee! A confident and radiant Sneha, you’ll see.

Epoch homes abode elderly those who need dementia care and assisted daily living support. When I started, I was briefed about dementia but the understanding of the daily life of a senior 75+, came to me when I was in their presence. Recently through one of the Epoch webinars, I heard a doctor/geriatrician say, and I quote, “there’s a person still behind the dementia patient”, and this made me realize how naïve are we to not notice this in our elderly loved ones!

Amidst the pandemic, there were fewer interactions with our elderly residents, regarding their own safety. But whenever I got the chance, covered in PPE kit, I would jump to know each one of them. With some I sang era old songs, with some I recited poems of Harivansh Rai Bachchan, Dinkar, Nirala, with some I learnt the concept of perspective, with some I learnt fashion, some taught me to live life with a bang, and that’s what I am doing!

Epoch in a way turned out to be a blessing in disguise. I would like to stop the roller coaster of my emotions here by simply being grateful. One day, when I close my eyes, I would love the memories with Epoch to roll in the cassette of my life. 

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To Epoch, a cassette of my life

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I want to share my unique professional journey with you. Personally, I have been someone who is always up for trying new things.

In August 2014, after completing my training as a General Duty Assistant, I got placed at Epoch Elder Care as a care attendant.  Even though I had prior care training, being a care attendant in an assisted living home was new for me and there was much to learn, especially about dementia care. At Epoch, everyone is encouraged to ask questions whenever they do not understand, your colleagues and seniors will answer them patiently and help you understand your issues. I realised how tough life can be with dementia and at Epoch I was able to increase the quality of life of elders with dementia and this was very satisfactory for me. 

Given my inclination to try new roles, back in 2018, I was chosen for the role of Admin Assistant which was a huge change for me professionally as I was moving from  care to an administrative role. With much support of senior colleagues, I was able to manage this role with confidence. Here I learnt new skills like vendor management, maintenance planning, and working with multiple departments. Being an ex-care attendant, I was able to understand the importance of this role where I had to ensure the upkeep of Epoch homes and how crucial it was for our care attendants to take care of our residents. Iss dauran maine apni life ko bahut hadd tak personally, professionally and financially grow bhi kiya hai (During this time, I was able to grow personally, professionally and financially). 

Then in January 2020, I saw an opportunity to move to a new role within Epoch as a Human Resource (HR) assistant and I confidently took the leap. Given my prior experience as a care attendant, I was quickly able to connect to prospective candidates for Care Attendant role and understand who could be a good fit at Epoch, and I learnt the aspect of people management. Ab dedication and guidance of my manager and colleagues ke sath grow kar raha hun or hope aage bhi yun hi grow karta rahunga. (With the dedication and guidance of my manager and colleagues, I am learning & growing  ,and will continue doing so!)

Thanks to Epoch, I have been able to understand this industry well and grow myself professionally in many different perspectives by gaining many new skills.

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Trying new roles and gaining new skills at Epoch

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I want to share my journey so far with Epoch Elder Care. I started my journey as a care attendant with Epoch’s Monet house at Pune location on 15th May 2016 and sab kuch naya tha mere liye (everything was new to me). It was a great year well spent at Monet house; and bohot kuch sikhne ko mila (great learnings came along). Under the guidance of our Facility Managers and Facility Nurses and other care attendants, I was properly trained to look after our residents. Epoch work culture bohot welcoming and unique tha mere liye (Epoch culture was welcoming and unique for me) - where the team was great & they treated me like a family member. Not only this, the relationship and bond I developed with residents was an amazing feeling. The concept of dementia and its management was something jo mujhe dhire dhire samajh aya. (The concept of dementia and its management was something I learned over a period of time).

After the completion of one year, the management decided to transfer me to Epoch’s other home (Vermeer House) in Gurugram. I was happy with the decision for two reasons. Firstly, my learning was about to expand and secondly, my hometown was nearby. After working as a care attendant for a year and a half at the Vermeer House, the management decided to promote me to the role of Head Care Attendant. Finally, my dedication & honesty paid off. My responsibilities increased and I had to oversee all errands related to our residents, other care team members, and the house overall, which I enjoyed throughout.

Then again on 1st May 2019, I was offered a role change based on my skills and eagerness to work. This time the management decided to offer me the role of Admin Assistant, which I accepted confidently. It was challenging at first, but with the constant guidance of the then corporate team, I managed with quite ease.

Epoch has not only helped me professionally but also personally. It is here that I met Sarita (Care Attendant at Vermeer House), married her and started another chapter of my life. She is always there to support & motivate me. 

During the outbreak of COVID-19, around Feb 2020, I was handed over the role & responsibilities of an Office Assistant in the new Vermeer house at Gurgaon. Covid ke first wave me hume bohot kuch naya experience karne ko and samajhne ko mila. Ye time humare liye bohot difficult tha but hum sabne milkar Epoch and ek doosre ko sambhala. (New learnings came along whilst managing and experiencing the first wave of coronavirus. It was a difficult time, but we managed to pull through). I was presented with the COVID warrior award. Epoch ke saath ab itne memories jud gaye hain ki yahan har koi apna sa lagta hai. 

Epoch me hamesha kuch na kuch naya sikhne ko and samajhne ko milta hi hai and mere liye bohot unique experience banta raha hai.

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My journey of multiple roles at Epoch

A stroke occurs when the blood flow to a part of the brain is stopped due to fragmented blood vessels or blood clots. 
India is observing an increase in people with stroke and is now ranking as the fourth leading cause of death and the fifth leading cause of...

Normalizing life after stroke

Prasita Nair , Head of Clinical Operations

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