What is a stroke?
Stroke is failed blood circulation to the brain. It is a widespread disorder as 795,000 Americans have strokes annually (Brain basics, 2014). Elderly people are especially prone to this disorder (Wittenberg, 2014).
Stroke Prevention
Luckily, various effective prevention techniques can minimize the risk of stroke (Preventing stroke, 2015).
- Healthy diet: Eat more fruit and vegetables, avoid consumption of trans fats, products that are rich in cholesterol.
- Healthy weight: Control your body weight as overweight and obese people are more vulnerable to stroke.
- Physical activity: You should have moderate-intensity exercise every day.
- No smoking / limited alcohol: These bad habits increase the risk of stroke.
A flyer about stroke prevention is the best way to inform the elderly about the risk of stroke and ways to prevent it. The poster is also effective but it is often placed in a particular place and it can attract little or no attention. There are often many posters and the abundance of such resources distracts older patients instead of informing them. At the same time, flyers are given to the elderly who often pay a lot of attention to written information. More so, the elderly can take flyers to their homes and put them somewhere they can read them one more time. They can also take the flyer and ask a healthcare professional or a caregiver about the disorder and prevention methods. The elderly can also discuss the content of the flyer with others in various places (home, meetings, parties, hospitals, and so on).
The information provided in the flyer draws older people’s attention to the problem and provides some brief answers to the questions concerning the prevention of the disorder. It is important to make the elderly understand that the problem exists and that it can also happen in their life. Older people should know about the signs of the stroke to be able to act accordingly. Of course, risk factors should be included as people often pay attention to things they should avoid (restrictions get more attention).
Of course, prevention is a very important portion of information. Thus, four easy aspects are highlighted and older people can have a simple formula in their heads. Thus, a healthy diet, healthy lifestyle, and healthy weight, as well as no smoking and limited alcohol consumption, are the keys to remembering and discussing with others. The information is provided in simple terms. The flyer includes short sentences and the most important things are given in bold. This will help the elderly understand the information easily and remember the most important facts.
Of course, the flyer will not provide the elderly with detailed information on the matter, but it will draw their attention to the problem and will help them remember major points. Nurses can use flyers to start the discussion and facilitate training of their patients as well as their caregivers.
Reference List
Brain basics: Preventing stroke. (2014). Web.
Preventing stroke: Healthy living. (2015). Web.
Wittenberg, G. (2014). Stroke recovery and rehabilitation. New York, NY: Demos Medical Publishing.