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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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Do you know any inactive elderly who lack concentration? Do they struggle with normal memory recall?

**Let's gain a deeper understanding of the factors contributing to their situation.**

As we age, the cognitive abilities start to decrease. Problem-solving, processing speed, short-term working memory, memory and information retrieval, and attention problems are a few among these. A longitudinal study revealed that a cognitively active lifestyle that includes reading and information processing in old age may postpone the onset of dementia in Alzheimer's disease by as much as 5 years. 

Epoch understands this fact that dementia cannot be stopped, but progression from one stage to another can be slowed down by engaging the seniors in various activities. Cognitive exercises  for the elderly keeps them alert, thus reducing the risk or delaying the onset of **[age-related dementia](https://www.epocheldercare.com/epoch-dementia-care-program)**. Other main goals include enhancing quality of life by providing a sense of accomplishment, purpose, usefulness, or involvement; reducing agitation or wandering; enhancing a sense of self-worth and dignity; or fostering a sense of normalcy.

At **[Epoch Elder Care](https://www.epocheldercare.com/)**, we schedule various physical and cognitive activities for our residents as per the requirements of the stages, and each activity has its own defined purpose. All the activities are not applicable on all the elders as each one has had their own interests in the past.

There are many activities that are beneficial for the elderly to enhance their cognitive ability, which are as follows: 

#### **Drawing and Painting**

Engaging in creative activities stimulates the brain and aids in imagination activation. Dopamine levels in the brain have been found to increase during creative activities, making people feel happier overall. Encouraging the seniors to paint with water and pastel colors is a great choice for those with eye and hand coordination difficulties. This type of activity is a reflection of their emotion. 

#### **Playing Board Games**

An elderly individual with dementia may benefit from the mental stimulation provided by simple board games like Snake and Ladder or Checkers. They gain mental stimulation from the board games by fostering social engagement, problem-solving, and enhancing hand-eye coordination.

#### **Reading the Book Loudly**

A person may lose their ability to read due to certain **[types of dementia](https://www.epocheldercare.com/about-dementia)**. People with dementia who are unable to read for themselves can benefit when someone narrates or reads for them. It may be stories, articles, or anything else that they like to hear. Imagination is sparked in their brains by becoming a storyteller for them.

#### **Doing Crossword Puzzles**

The thoughts of your elderly loved ones can be kept occupied in a delightful way with puzzles. Like word jumbles and crossword puzzles, which train vocabulary expansion as well as memory and problem-solving skills. Word games Playing word games may help older adults' cognitive function, according to a recent study. Scrabble is an example of a competitive game that not only offers these advantages but also promotes social interaction. 

#### **Volunteering**

Engaging in volunteer work significantly improves the health and happiness of the elderly. The act of volunteering brings tremendous benefits to the overall wellness of senior citizens. The wellbeing of older adults experiences significant positive effects through their involvement in volunteer activities. Participating in volunteering has a profound impact on the physical and mental health of the elderly.

#### **Meaningful Conversation**

Conversation with others is one of the most crucial cognitive exercises for seniors. People frequently become more reclusive as they get older, which limits their opportunities to talk to others about the things that are important to them. You can engage their minds and uplift their spirits by asking them what they think about various scenarios and occurrences. 

##### **Conclusion**

These are some of the activities that we as caregivers can do to keep the elderly cognitively active. Not every elderly individual likes to participate in the activities, but we try to engage them when they are comfortable. At **[Epoch](https://www.epocheldercare.com/)**, we try to engage elderly in various activities during the daytime based on their interests, and when it seems that they are happy with it, we further offer them meaningful activities on a day-to-day basis. It is important to note that elderly may not be actively participating, but observing others is also cognitively stimulating.


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6 Activities to Boost the Cognitive Ability of the Elders

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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

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Epoch - A name that defines an era of development and sweet memories and after spending 6 months here, I believe this place truly justifies its meaning. 

I am Aditi and I manage “On-Boarding and Customer Relations” at Epoch Elder Care. In my 6 years of work experience, I was always into Relationship Management roles and had predefined goals and KRA’s, which are standard across most industries. For a long time, I was looking for something new, something challenging and something refreshing. I came across Epoch in the most unprecedented times possible, I was going through a lot of lows in my life personally and professionally and somehow I started to feel that I kind of lost the meaning and purpose in life. Little did I know that I would love each day at work here. 

My last 6 months at Epoch Elder Care have been really enriching. They were full of highs and lows and I almost feel like I have been a part of the company since ages - great energy around and amazing people to work with! They are more than just coworkers, there is a lot of respect and kindness for each other, and the company culture encourages meaningful interactions between colleagues. I think the best part is that everybody’s work is co-related and you are aware of everything that is happening in the organization. Your focus is not just your work, it’s also how we could improve together as a unit. Each team member has immense opportunity to work outside their predefined roles. We are all often working together and there is an emphasis on brainstorming, feedback and innovation. People are highly adaptive and so open to feedback.

In India, sending parents and grandparents to an Old Age Home is considered a taboo and I think my knowledge about such facilities was just restricted to this wide held notion. I did not know that a concept of “Assisted living, Dementia care facilities” actually exists in India. After coming here, my perspective towards life changed 360*. I think I have grown a lot as a person in such little time and I am learning everyday. 

Coming from a joint family background, I always wanted to do something for the elderly and I feel so overwhelmed to be a part of such a great cause. It's a different world altogether. People are extremely empathetic and helpful towards everybody’s needs and are just so full of love. They go all out to provide the utmost level of care to any elderly staying here. Nobody is a “Patient”, they are all Nana, Nani, Aunty, Uncle, Dadi and Dadi for everyone. It feels like I found another joint family for myself! 

The work we do here is so different and extremely personalised. Coming from a sales background, I struggled a bit in the beginning with the way we write emails, the way we respond to our clients, the way we greet and meet them. It is all so crucial to us and that is how we differentiate ourselves from others. I am still learning and trying to be on top of things. This work really keeps me on my toes, but I like where it is taking me. 

My role is not just restricted to making sales and generating revenue. In fact, it's just the other way round. For me, it's not about selling something, it's about earning every ounce of love and respect that we receive from our residents and their families. We do think of a larger picture, but only after capturing and enhancing the smaller ones. I connect with so many people everyday and am touched by their stories. The only thought which comes to my mind is how can we make their lives better and beautiful. Listening to our residents and spending time with them, makes me feel a little more human and I am taken back to those golden times with my grandparents. I feel I belong here and I definitely feel destiny played a big role. 

When at the end of the day you go back home thinking, you made a family happy and they bless you with the most kind words possible, trust me, it's all worth it! I am glad Epoch happened in the times when I needed it the most and it’s making me a better individual with each passing day!

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“Earning” is far more important than “selling”

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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