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Welcome to the RESCUE English Homepage
Resources and Education for Stroke Caregivers' Understanding and Empowerment, or RESCUE for short, is a lifeline to help caregivers “keep their head above water.” Stroke onset is very sudden and new caregivers are not always prepared for this new role. The caregiver may be overwhelmed and feel like the person who needs to be rescued.
Navigating RESCUE Website
The RESCUE team has prepared a comprehensive website that contains information for caregivers of Veterans recovering from stroke. This website provides stroke caregivers with information and resources to help them better care for themselves and their loved ones. There are over 45 easy-to-read “fact sheets” about stroke and stroke caregiving on this website, which can be downloaded and printed, also available in Spanish.
General Stroke Information
Many people don’t know what a stroke is or why it happened. In this section, you will learn about the causes of stroke, how to prevent another stroke in the future, stroke therapies and stroke rehabilitation.
Obtaining Good Healthcare and Information
You may be overwhelmed by the amount of stroke information available. This section teaches you how to find up-to-date information from trusted sources. It also provides you with tips for talking to your healthcare team.
Caregiver Wellbeing: Understanding How Caring for a Loved One Affects You
The daily stresses of caregiving can wear you down. To be the best caregiver, you must first take care of yourself. This section has tips on managing your stress and depression. It also provides information on family relationships and long-distance caregiving.
Caring for Someone with Physical Needs
Dealing with the physical needs brought on by stroke is hard. This section informs you about changes in how the body functions, such as loss of bladder control, and problems with speech.
Caring for Someone with Emotional & Behavioral Needs
Stroke can change your loved one’s personality and behavior. This section teaches you how to deal with these changes.
Keeping Your Loved One Safe and Healthy
Helping your loved one lead a safe and healthy life can promote stroke recovery. Topics in this section include healthy lifestyle, preventing falls and managing your loved one’s medications.
Helping Your Loved One Become More Independent
You may wonder how much help to give your loved one. In this section, you will learn ways to increase your loved one’s independence, while still lending a hand.
Finding Community Resources
You may not know what help is available in your local area. In this section you will learn about respite care, long-term care housing, and stroke support groups.
Managing Financial & Legal Issues
Money issues can cause a lot of worry and stress. Tips for how to manage finances and sort through the legal process can be found in this section.
Resources
Finding reliable information on the internet can be difficult, so our team compiled a list of VA and Community resources that may benefit caregivers.
Glossary
This section also includes a glossary of frequently used terminology and archived RESCUE newsletters.
Helpful Tools
This section contains helpful tools to help caregivers provide for their your loved one. Examples of information in this section include a problem-solving intervention, tips for mood management, lifting and transferring techniques, family records tool, medication cards and aphasia cards.
Research and Scholarly Papers
This section contains information on past studies and associated papers completed by the RESCUE team. Tips for providers and researchers to modify interventions for future are included.
Advice from Caregivers
Being a caregiver of a person with a stroke is both difficult and rewarding. Here are quotes from caregivers to help you through dark times and find joy in caregiving.
