Phoebe Putney offers advice for Stroke Awareness Month

Identifying a stroke; knowing the signs...

ALBANY, Ga. – With May being National Stroke Awareness Month, nurses at the Primary Stroke Center at Phoebe Putney Hospital, are telling us about how to care for someone who’s been afflicted with the condition.

For Phoebe’s Stroke Coordinator, Faren Hackett, says that there are signs that a person is suffering from a stroke….and is listed by the acronym be FAST.

“Be FAST stands for: balance, eyes, face, arms, speech, time or terrible headache. And these are sudden symptoms, that can occur which would drive you to calling 911 and coming to the emergency room…” said Faren Hackett, Stroke Coordinator, Phoebe Health System.

Nurse Hackett goes on to explain other sudden symptoms like face drooping, one arm immediately feeling weaker than the other, and slurred speech to name a few.

And in trying to help identify if it is indeed a stroke, it doesn’t need to be all of the symptoms at one time.

“It can be a combination of one or two, it can be all of them. The key word though is sudden. It’s a sudden change from your norm. Not something that would be going over two or three weeks, or something that you’ve had before and came back, something we consider chronic,” said Hackett.

But for those who have suffered from strokes, Hackett goes on to talk about the constant need for caretakers to help stroke victims…

Especially as they go through recovery, the hospital is able to offer them services.

“When those patients leave the hospital, they have a new normal. They’re not always going to get back to what their baseline is. So they are gonna need some additional care. We have great ancillary services, such as physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, and our home health – representatives who will come out to your house to assist you and your loved one,” said Hackett.

And while it does seem like a stroke can affect anyone, it’s surprisingly easily preventable.

“…Mostly by controlling your disease processes like high blood pressure, diabetes, cholesterol, HO fibrillation. All four of those have medication that can be prescribed for them. So, making sure you take your medication appropriately. Making sure that you eat a healthy diet and exercise regularly,” said Hackett.

While hard to see from the untrained eye, if someone is having a stroke, the Phoebe Health System recommends you either drive them or call 911 and don’t let them drive.

Hackett says that 80 percent of all strokes are seen as preventable.

Brian Roche reporting.

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