To suffer from a stroke and emerge victorious from it is nothing short of a battle. All aspects of one’s health — physical, mental, and emotional — are deeply impacted by this ailment. From the way you brush your teeth and dress yourself to how you consume your meals, everything is susceptible to change.
Though when you incorporate clothing for stroke survivor in Victoria, BC, things start to change for the better.
Medicines, cardiologists and physiotherapists do their best in treatment by helping you get back up on your feet. However, it can only help regulate your mental health to a certain extent.
As a result, it is increasingly important for you to make choices that best suit your interests, while also adding positively to your mental well-being.
Keep reading to know more about the empowerment that comes with the right type of clothing.
Clothing for Stroke Survivor In Victoria, BC: How It Affects Their Mind
Recovering from a stroke has never been easy. It takes a lot for a person to take themselves out of a dark place mentally. Consequently, the effort doubles when the problem stems from ailments resulting in physical limitations. As it turns out, the reality isn’t so different for an individual in rehab, following a stroke.
Before understanding how adaptive clothing helps encourage a positive state of mind, it’s important to understand its basics, common causes, and post-treatment outcomes.
If you, or someone you love, has been through this situation, then you might relate to what this blog states.
1. What Happens During a Stroke
In simple terms, a stroke is a medical condition where the blood supply to the brain either suffers from blockage or gives into pressure and allows the blood vessel to burst.
- Depending on the type of stroke (ischemic/hemorrhagic), the brain is at serious risk. This damage is primarily due tothe deprivation of the necessary oxygen supply for too long.
- Consequently, in the case of a blood vessel bursting (hemorrhagic stroke), the damage is far more intense. Basically, the burst blood vessel floods different parts of the brain, causing intense pressure to damage unaffected areas.
Noting that, it is a fairly critical situation that needs immediate medical attention for the purpose of preventing damage and saving lives on time.
It’s a miraculous thing if you or your loved one received timely medical attention following a stroke. Undoubtedly, the experience itself is challenging, with rehabilitation requiring strong willpower and consistent motivation. Subsequently, many patients resort to clothing for stroke survivor in Victoria, BC, as regular pieces of clothing aren’t feasible to be worn on their own.
2. Post-Treatment: How Stroke Affects the Life of an Individual
After being diagnosed with a stroke and getting its treatment accordingly, comes the phase of rehabilitation, which is an extensive time period, requiring patience and consistency from the patient, along with the primary caregiver.
As it is increasingly common for stroke survivors to experience dexterity issues, which cause hindrances in many aspects of life. For instance, the simplest of tasks, like changing in and out of clothes, becomes difficult for them.
In this sense, dependency on primary caregivers can deteriorate their mental health. This is caused by incorporating negative thoughts and a lack of self-worth.
The following are a few factors that are relevant to the need for specialized clothing options for stroke survivors:
- Difficulty in dexterity (hand grips and movement)
- Weakness or stiffness in muscles
- Inability to retain balance
- Finding it challenging to button a shirt
- Elevated levels of fatigue
- Numbness in one hand or both
Including the factors mentioned, partial paralysis can also make it difficult for stroke survivors to wear clothing with ease.
3. Cause and Effect: How Adaptive Clothing Contributes to Mental Health
As you have been told all your life, your mind is an extremely powerful part of your existence.
By developing an understanding of how your mind is affected by various factors of your life, you can appreciate the importance of clothing for stroke survivor in Victoria, BC.
Noting how the post-stroke phase of a patient is prevalent with dexterity issues, careful lifestyle choices are needed. Similarly, it would be inconsiderate for anyone to suggest regular clothing to them. If such patients even tried to wear regular clothing, it would be challenging to put on a shirt. Let alone even button it up.
Unlike a healthy person, it isn’t easy for stroke survivors to move their bodies as efficiently, including hand grips and arm movements. As the process of rehabilitation and complete recovery takes time, this period is enough for stroke survivors to experience a significant decrease in self-worth.
Considering physical limitations (weakness, poor grip or flexibility), their thought process is likely to circle around introspective statements such as:
“I can’t even wear a shirt by myself.”
“I miss the time when I was able to carry out simple life tasks without anyone’s help.”
“If only there were a way I could do things on my own.”
As these hypothetical statements indicate, the mental health of stroke survivors is vulnerable to depressive and self-degrading episodes. Thus, in order to prevent that from happening, it’s important that you allow them to handle a few doable tasks on their own.
That being said, the usage of clothing for stroke survivor in Victoria, BC, becomes a need as changing in and out of clothes becomes a convenient and comfortable alternative for patients in recovery.
How Adaptive Clothing Helps Make Things Easier
The rehabilitation period post-stroke is extremely challenging for patients. As a result, their movements, along with their speech, face barriers in experiencing day-to-day life.
For example, something as simple as brushing one’s teeth requires a certain degree of force and controlled movement — but it can become a challenging task for someone undergoing recovery. Not only does it compromise their grip, but it also makes it difficult to move limbs around freely.
Though with limited movement, the adaptive designs of clothing make the ordeal of changing in and out of clothes a manageable task.
Here’s how adaptive clothing helps stroke survivors:
- Provides comfort
- Gives a sense of self-sufficiency
- Empowers with independence
- Increases self-confidence
- Preserves and maintains dignity
- Reduces depression
- Contributes to ensuring safety (as you change in and out of clothes)
Compared to the life they had before suffering from a stroke, the reality becomes devastating as they have to rely on their loved ones or professional caregivers for managing basic tasks of life. In this manner, clothing for stroke survivor in Victoria, BC, holds great relevance to help them maintain their dignity and self-worth.
Along with that, the post-stroke recovery period can lead to persistent depression, which, if left untreated, can last up to a year.
As active members of the community, it is meaningful to be there for each other. However, there’s a thin line between helping someone and giving the impression that they can’t do things on their own.
Even though your intentions may be in the right place, overdoing assistance can contribute to worsening the mental health condition of a stroke survivor.
In this situation, adaptive clothing can significantly aid in fostering an improved sense of self-worth by rewarding one’s mind with small, manageable tasks, such as dressing in and out of clothes.
Key Characteristics of Adaptive Clothing
Understanding how the phase of rehabilitation affects one physically, it takes a significant toll on one’s mental health. In order to counter the negative effects of suffering from a stroke, many experts recommend engaging in activities or things that help the survivors gain some degree of a sense of independence.
Noting that, the wide variety of clothing for stroke survivor in Victoria, BC, is well-known for its key characteristics. Not only does it help in assisting stroke survivors with clothing options that promote their sense of independence, but it also boosts their confidence.
Here’s a brief yet distinct list of features that help benefit stroke survivors:
- Magnetic buttons
- Velcro
- Snap buttons
- Elastic cuffs
- Elastic waistbands
- Flat seams (not allowing significant discomfort)
- Absence of tags
- Breathable fabrics
- Adjustable hems
- Flexible nectlines
- Side-opening
- Open-backs
- Side-zip pants (for individuals who use wheelchairs
Embracing a Lifestyle That Empowers
Self-sufficiency isn’t a phase, but a lifestyle. As a primary caregiver of a stroke survivor, you must notice how empowered they feel when you allow them to carry out a few tasks on their own.
Actively participating in their day-to-day activities can offer them the gift of companionship, along with the motivation to persist against the difficulties of life. Paired with consistent support and words of affirmation, you can help them embrace a lifestyle that empowers them.
The first step is to find a range of clothing for stroke survivor in Victoria, BC, suiting all needs of their current health conditions.
At Kayden Design Adaptive Clothing, our team is dedicated to providing our customers with inclusive clothing items. Producing high-quality garments made with breathable fabric, we don’t just aim to present a wide variety of fashion clothing items for stroke survivors, but also encourage them to embrace a healthier lifestyle.
If you want adaptive clothing to contribute positively to the course of rehabilitation and benefit you to the fullest, then Kayden Design Adaptive Clothing is the right choice.
Take a look at our shop and place an order today.
FAQ’s
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How to keep a stroke patient motivated?
Stroke patients go through a great degree of difficulty when they suffer from the health issue, and also in their recovery phase. An effective way to motivate them is by encouraging their independence.
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What helps heal the brain after a stroke?
A significant time, effort, and techniques are required for healing the brain after a stroke. This extensive process includes: rehabilitation therapies, mentally stimulating activities, emotional support, and an easy lifestyle.
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Who helps a patient learn how to get dressed after a stroke?
The post-stroke recovery for patients is a time during which a reliable occupational therapist is there to help them with various life activities, including dressing techniques.
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How does adaptive clothing make the process of dressing and undressing easier?
Adaptive clothing incorporates features like open sides, high rises, Velcro, snaps, and magnets, while being composed of stretchable yet baggy fabrics, which make it easier to dress or undress for a stroke survivor.
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What are the effects of positive affirmations on stroke survivors?
An emotionally healthy environment results in positive affirmations surrounding a stroke survivor. Along with the use of adaptive clothing, a gradual increase in self-reliance eventually leads to a decrease in depression, stress, and anxiety.
