It‘s critical for those involved in elder care to familiarize themselves with the signs and symptoms associated with a stroke. It’s estimated that someone dies of a stroke every four minutes, while survivors can face severe, long-term disability. Out of 795,000 occurrences each year, 610,000 of these are first attacks. That’s why you have to remember F.A.S.T. — a mnemonic that helps identify the common symptoms of a stroke.

Here’s a closer look at what F.A.S.T. entails:

• Face: Ask the person to smile. Does one side of the face droop? During a stroke, the nerves that control the muscles in the face tend to get damaged, which is often caused by the lack of oxygen. As a result, the face may fall to one side, making a voluntary smile much more difficult to achieve.

• Arms: Ask the person to raise both arms. Is one arm suddenly weaker than the other, or is it drifting downward? When a person is having a stroke, it’s common to experience sudden paralysis or weakness in an arm and leg. This occurs when nerve cells in the affected area of the brain stop functioning.

• Speech: Ask the person to repeat a simple phrase. Is the speech slurred or strange? During a stroke, the patient won’t be able to control the movement of their lips or tongue. When they speak, they may slur, or the words may be spoken fine but what they’re saying won’t make sense.

• Time: In the medical elder care community, it’s often stressed that response time during a stroke is crucial for survival. That’s why if you observe any of these common signs and symptoms, you should call 911 immediately. Answer the dispatcher’s questions as calmly and clearly as you can.

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