Personal Home Care Interventions For Hemiplegia And Hemiparesis Patients

Hemiplegia refers to one-sided paralysis. It is often caused by strokes, spinal cord injuries, aneurysms, and traumatic brain injuries. Hemiplegia is often confused with hemiparesis, which causes one-sided, or unilateral weakness and not total one-sided paralysis. Both conditions can be debilitating. If your family member has hemiplegia or hemiparesis and cannot live independently at home, hiring a professional personal home care provider may be an excellent option. Here are some interventions a personal home care professional can offer your loved one with hemiplegia or hemiparesis to help enhance their quality of life.

Contracture Management

Hemiplegia and hemiparesis patients are at risk for developing painful and disfiguring contractures of the hands and legs. Contractures develop when the skin, tendons, muscles, or joints become tight or short in response to certain illnesses such as neurological disorders and injuries. Contractures can cause severe pain, loss of movement, decreased flexibility, muscle and skin tightness, and stiffness.

The personal home care professional can help minimize your loved one's symptoms by helping the individual do stretching exercises, massaging the affected areas, and applying splints and braces to the contractures in accordance with the patient's primary care physician's recommendations.

The in-home caregiver can also use doctor-recommended equipment to help stimulate the muscles such as muscle-stimulating machines to help promote circulation. It is important to note that while hemiplegia typically means that the patient is paralyzed on one side, hemiplegics can still perceive pain. 

Mobility Assistance

Both hemiplegia and hemiparesis patients have mobility needs. While the patient with hemiplegia may still be able to walk, their gait may be slow and their affected arm may swing as a result of limited muscle control and decreased sensation.

The personal home care provider can assist the patient with their mobility by easing them in and out of their wheelchair, instructing them on the proper use of mobility devices such as walkers, and applying leg braces to help promote balance.

The in-home caregiver can also help your loved one get to the bathroom and will help them transfer from their wheelchair and onto the toilet so that the individual does not fall. The personal home care provider will also make sure that the patient is wearing proper shoes to further help enhance balance and ambulation. 

If your family member has hemiplegia or hemiparesis and needs help at home, consider the above interventions a personal home care professional can offer. When your loved one gets the physical and emotional care they need in the comfort and familiarity of their own home, they can focus on living a happier and healthier life. 

For more info about personal home care services, contact a local company.