Multiple strokes: one-page care plan

The top of the page should be written for a stressful moment. Include the local emergency number, the FAST stroke signs, a reminder to record the last time the person was completely normal, and the instruction not to give food, drink, or medicine unless emergency clinicians advise it. These details must be easy to find in seconds

Add the facts emergency teams may need: current medicines, blood thinners, allergies, major diagnoses, baseline speech or mobility limits, and the person who knows the survivor best. If the survivor has aphasia or uses another language, write the best communication method clearly, such as yes/no questions, writing, pictures, extra time, or an interpreter

The prevention section should be personal. List the known or suspected stroke cause, such as atrial fibrillation, high blood pressure, diabetes, carotid disease, cholesterol, sleep apnea, smoking, or an unknown cause still being investigated. Then list the daily actions connected to those risks

Include only the next few appointments or tests so the page stays usable. For example: neurology follow-up, cardiology monitor result, bloodwork, therapy reassessment, or primary-care medication review. After each visit, update the plan and remove old instructions that no longer apply

Keep copies where people will actually use them: on the refrigerator, in the medication folder, in a caregiver phone, and in a go-bag. If the survivor lives alone, decide who has a copy and what they are allowed to do if there is a missed check-in or emergency

Review the plan after every medicine change, fall, emergency visit, new diagnosis, or follow-up appointment. At clinic visits, ask: 'Is the stroke cause listed correctly? Are these medicines current? What should we do if symptoms return?' A care plan is only helpful when it stays accurate