CourseDraft

Caregiver essentials (Intro)

A practical starter course for caregivers: keeping the person safe at home, avoiding common complications (falls, swallowing risk), building routines, and protecting caregiver wellbeing.

CaregiverCaregiverIntro75 minPlain (6–8)

Educational only

Educational only — follow the discharge plan and clinician guidance. For emergencies, call local emergency services.

Get help now

Call emergency services immediately for new sudden weakness, speech trouble, severe headache, new confusion, seizure, or breathing trouble. If choking or severe breathing difficulty occurs, follow local emergency guidance.

Key takeaways

  • Set up a safer home environment and reduce fall risk
  • Recognize swallowing warning signs and know when to escalate
  • Create simple routines for meds, appointments, and rehab practice
  • Reduce caregiver burnout risk with realistic supports

Lessons in this course

Lesson sequence

  • 1. Caregiving fundamentals (what changes, what helps)
  • 2. Home safety checklist + bathroom/bedroom setup
  • 3. Swallowing safety quick guide (red flags + what to do)
  • 4. Falls: prevention + when to use alerts
  • 5. Caregiver burnout: early signs + support plan

Capstone

  • Build a ‘home safety + escalation’ plan
  • Write 5 questions for the care team

Practice check

What you’ll practice

These questions are untimed. After you answer all of them, you’ll see your score and a clear next lesson or reference step.

0 of 3 answered

Question 1

1. If coughing with meals starts suddenly after stroke, it may be a swallowing safety warning sign and should be discussed urgently with the care team.

Question 2

2. A high-impact fall-prevention step at home is…

Question 3

3. A common early caregiver burnout sign is…

References

  1. Tier 1
    NICE Stroke rehabilitation in adults (NG236) — safety, rehab, caregiver support themes
  2. Tier 4
    American Stroke Association: Dysphagia overview (patient-facing)