Three quarters of stroke victims are 65 or over, so why does Seneca Meadows provide our employees instructions on recognizing a stroke? One of our own team members highlighted the importance of that instruction, a couple years ago, when he suffered a stroke at the age of 49. Thankfully, his daughter, a registered nurse, immediately recognized the signs and got him to the hospital in time.
Recognizing the signs of a stroke is imperative to preventing brain damage. If a stroke victim receives neurological care within three hours, it is possible to reverse the damage. So, what are the signs to look for? Here is a basic strategy we offer our employees.
To recognize a stroke, remember FAST:
- F: Is the person’s face drooping on one side or is it numb? Ask the person to smile to find out.
- A: Is one arm weak or numb? Ask the person to raise both arms. Does one drift downward?
- S: Is the person’s speech slurred or difficult to understand? Ask the person to repeat a simple sentence to make a determination.
- T: If a person shows any of the above symptoms, even if the symptoms go away, it’s time to call 911 and get the person to a hospital immediately. Check the time, so you can tell the neurologist what time the symptoms appeared.
Kyle Black is the district manager for Seneca Meadows. Safety is the company’s number one core value, and weekly safety talks with employees are just one way that the company helps foster a safety culture.
