Preventing Falls After a Stroke

A stroke happens when the blood supply to part of the brain is interrupted, and depending on which area is affected, the impact on movement and balance can be significant. Weakness or paralysis down one side of the body is common, as is altered coordination, changed vision and difficulty judging distances. Any one of these effects can turn a walk to the kitchen into something that requires real concentration. Many stroke survivors are managing more than one at the same time.

According to the Stroke Association, around two thirds of stroke survivors leave hospital with a disability. Recovery continues at home, but the early weeks carry a particular risk because the body is still adjusting and fatigue can arrive quickly and without much warning. Stroke fatigue is different from ordinary tiredness. It can affect concentration and physical steadiness in the space of a few minutes, meaning someone who walks confidently to the sitting room after breakfast may be considerably less steady by mid-morning.

Some medications prescribed after a stroke, particularly those managing blood pressure, can also cause light-headedness when standing up. If your loved one mentions feeling dizzy on rising, that is worth raising with their GP rather than assuming it will settle on its own.

You do not need to transform the house. A handful of specific changes, done well, make far more difference than a wholesale rearrangement.

In the bedroom, check that the bed is at a height where your loved one’s feet rest flat on the floor when they are sitting on the edge. Getting up from a bed that is too low places a lot of demand on legs that may already be weakened. Put a lamp or small torch within arm’s reach so there is no walking in the dark to find a light switch. A non-slip mat beside the bed gives secure footing first thing in the morning, when the body is at its stiffest.

In the bathroom, a grab rail beside the toilet and inside the shower or bath is worth fitting securely into the wall rather than relying on suction-cup versions, which can come away under pressure. A non-slip mat on the shower or bath floor is essential. If getting in and out of the bath has become difficult, a bath board or a shower chair may be more practical, and an occupational therapist can advise on what would suit your loved one’s specific needs. The NHS has useful guidance on home adaptations following a stroke that is worth reading before any purchases.

In the living room and hallway, clear a consistent path between the places your loved one moves between most often: their chair, the bathroom, the kitchen. Rugs with curling edges, trailing cables and bags left on the floor are all common hazards. Make sure any chair they use regularly is firm enough to push up from; deep, low sofas are harder to rise from safely when one side of the body is weaker.

In the kitchen, move the items your loved one uses every day (the kettle, mugs, teabags, a plate) to waist height so there is no reaching up or bending down. A perch stool at the worktop means they can sit while preparing food rather than standing for extended periods. Standing in one place for too long can increase fatigue and reduce steadiness more quickly than people expect.

Throughout the home, lighting is one of the most practical changes you can make. Plug-in nightlights on the route to the bathroom catch the moments when someone wakes at two in the morning and moves on instinct rather than care. Falls happen disproportionately at night, and a well-lit path costs very little to put in place.

Our Care Professionals work alongside the NHS therapy team, supporting the goals and routines they have set rather than replacing their input.

In practical terms, that might mean being present during the morning routine, when fatigue and stiffness are often at their highest and the risk of a fall is greatest. It might mean accompanying your loved one on a short walk outdoors so they can build confidence using their walking aid in a real environment, with someone steady beside them. It means keeping the home clear and organised as part of a daily routine, gently prompting the use of grab rails and walking aids, and noticing any changes in steadiness or confidence that the family or GP should know about.

Home Instead New Forest offers After Stroke Care At Home specifically designed to support independence and safety during recovery. Our team works to encourage what clients can do for themselves, offering the right level of support without doing more than is needed. That balance matters for confidence as much as it does for physical recovery.

If your loved one has recently had a stroke and you are thinking about what extra support at home might look like, we would love to have a friendly, no-pressure conversation with you.

Home Instead New Forest
5 Rashley Mews, High St, Lymington SO41 9AR

Call us on 01590 637 250 or visit our website at www.homeinstead.co.uk/office/new-forest/ to find out more about the support we offer.