Bleeding stroke

by TERESA
(Lawton ok)

Question: My dad is 75 and had a bleeding stroke 3 months ago.. It affected his memory and balance.. he got alot better in rehab and was even walking up down his street.. now all of a sudden his balance is off again and his memory is bad and he's confused alot..

Answer: Since it has been three months since his stroke, and these symptoms have all of a sudden worsened, I would check with his MD to make sure there haven't been new neurological/brain changes. In addition, sometimes symptoms can worsen when someone has a UTI or other type of infection, is dehydrated, or has side effects from medication. There could be a host of other reasons why these changes are occurring, but I would recommend following up with his MD to determine what is going on. Many people blame an initial stroke for changes months or even years later, but any new changes are often unrelated to an older stroke and need to be evaluated. If the MD finds nothing wrong, and your father simply started to decline after returning home from rehab, he may not be getting the exercise/continued rehab he needs at home. Sometimes it's necessary for stroke patients to seek more rehabilitation in the future after their stroke. I have known many stroke patients who seek rehab every year or two to help them maintain their level of function and prevent decline.