Interview 44

Age at interview: 69

Brief Outline: He had a stroke due to a clot at the age of 60 which caused left sided weakness in his leg and paralysis of his hand. His speech was also affected and he has depression. Medication' aspirin (antiplatelet) simvastatin (cholesterol) fluoxetine (depression).

Background: Is a married father with 4 adult children. He is a retired shopkeeper. Ethnic background/nationality' Pakistani/English.

More about me...

This man had a stroke at the age 60 he is now 69. He initially noticed some weakness on his left hand side but did not do anything about it until the following day when it happened again. 

He was in hospital after his stroke and was initially put on a surgical ward which he found very frustrating as he was not getting help to get moving again. He complained and was moved to a rehabilitation ward where he got some help with getting mobile again. He can now walk with a stick but finds it difficult to get upstairs. He would have liked to have had more support with walking once he got home. He lives in a very hilly town and does not feel confident going out on his own. He has not regained any use of his hand which has made it very difficult for him.

His wife looks after him at home but her health is not very good. After a year they had a toilet and shower put in downstairs but he now attends a day centre a couple of days a week and can have a bath there.

He finds he is much more emotional these days. He has found it very difficult to come to terms with his stroke as it has changed his life so much. He feels that it is one of the worst things that can happen. He has been given medication (fluoxetine) to try and help with depression. 

He was very unhappy when he was told that he'd had a stroke because he was worried about...

How did you feel when they told you you'd had a stroke?

I was on the stretcher at that time, you know, when he told me, 'You've got a stroke'. 

It is not very happy news, you know. I got a stroke and I still am, am the stroke person, you know. I could not move this hand' Totally disable' could not walk myself' Some person have to look after me, you know. Otherwise that is the, that is the, the most dangerous thing happen with the human being. Stroke is the worst thing. 

At first he was put on a surgical ward but felt he wasn't getting the proper care so complained...

The next doctor came, he checked it again and he said, 'I'm sorry, you are not going home, you've got a stroke'. He told me at that time' Then they do not have a bed there in the Infirmary, you know. They took me there to some ward' It was not stroke ward, it was something else, you know, some other ward, they put me there. Surgical ward' I was there in the Infirmary for 7 days without any medicine, without anything, without any care, you know. Then I talk to the doctors, say, 'It's not right. You're putting me in the surgical ward where people come hurt, you know, in the one night during fighting and tomorrow they go home and nobody looking at me, you know. 'Oh we are arranging, we are looking for the bed'. Then they took me to the hospital, you know, the bed was empty. They put me there, that's it and I was totally' unable to move, you know and in my hand or anything' That's what happened with me. 

He asked the social worker about the possibility of someone taking him out for short walks but...

In fact, one time' I have a suggestion for the social people. If I get one person' who could take me out' and for walking you know, maybe I will, I'll be able to walk.

Do you need support for walking?

Yeah. Because I cannot go alone. If I fell down, I cannot get up' So I talk about that one, about social worker to give me help but they did not, they didn't do it. 'It's not our system'. I said, 'It's alright'.