What is a CVA Resident?

Cerebrovascular accident, commonly known as a stroke, is the third leading cause of death in the United States, as of 2010. About 795,000 people in the United States suffer from CVA every year. The results of a stroke on surviving victims and their families can be devastating, and CVA residents often require high-quality intensive care from health care professionals.

CVA

• CVA involves a neurological dysfunction as a result of the disruption of blood supply to the brain. This obstruction of blood to the brain can be caused by embolism, thrombosis, stenosis or hemorrhage. The two different types of stroke are classified as ischemic and hemorrhagic. The most common form of CVA is ischemic, which is caused by a blood clot completely blocking a blood vessel inside the brain. A hemorrhagic stroke, on the other hand, results from a blood vessel breaking and bleeding into the brain.

Residents

• People who suffer from strokes but survive are often left with severe mental and physical disabilities that can be permanent. To maximize the quality of their health, survivors of CVA often must remain in healthcare facilities to receive a sufficient level of care and treatment from doctors and nurses. A CVA resident is a patient that is staying on a bed in a hospital or healthcare facility to receive treatment for a stroke.

Symptoms

• CVA residents often suffer from symptoms including loss of voluntary muscle control, severe headaches, loss of motor ability, urinary incontinence, inability to communicate through speech or writing, self-care deficits, emotional numbness and sensory loss. Victims of severe stroke may also experience hypertension, seizures, or they may sink into a catatonic stupor in which they can only be aroused or awakened through painful stimulation. CVA residents are also at risk of infections and malnutrition.

Treatment

• Many CVA residents must receive intensive care because they have been rendered incapable of effectively using their mind or controlling their body. Nurses sometimes must provide very close assistance to help the resident fulfill ordinary activities and bodily functions, such as eating, getting dressed and going to the bathroom. The primary responsibility of healthcare professionals providing care and treatment to CVA residents is to achieve and maintain the highest possible level of physical and mental well-being for the patient. The nurses and physicians typically must develop very close relationships and form tight bonds with the residents to accumulate trust and to most effectively execute the treatment plans.