What’s in your kit
Eight tools. The first three are the rules you must know cold — they decide when something is an emergency. The rest keep the daily partnership steady and tell you where your role begins and ends.
1 · The BE-FAST Rule
Know this coldEvery stroke survivor — and their patient — should know BE-FAST cold. A second stroke is most likely in the first 90 days after the first. Every minute of delay loses brain.
STROKE BE-FAST RULE
Patient card2 · The Medicine-Adherence Rule
Know this coldAfter a stroke or TIA, the prevention medicines are LIFE-SAVING. The single biggest cause of a second stroke is stopping medicines — especially the blood thinner. Adherence is everything.
STROKE PREVENTION MEDICINE RULE
Patient card3 · Other Red Flags — Emergencies
Know this coldBeyond the two red rules above, these situations also mean immediate help. When in doubt, the home care plan handles ordinary days — these are not ordinary.
❤️ Chest pain
Stroke survivors share risk factors with heart disease. New chest pressure or pain is a 911 call.
Call 911 now🧠 New severe headache
Sudden severe "worst headache of life" can be a brain bleed. So can headache with vomiting and confusion.
Call 911 now👀 Sudden vision loss
Sudden vision loss in one or both eyes can be a stroke variant or a retinal artery clot — both emergencies.
Call 911 now💘 Falls + injury
Stroke survivors fall at high rates. A fall with head strike — especially on blood thinners — needs ED evaluation for brain bleed.
ED now4 · The Contact Ladder
Fill in & printWhen something is wrong, you should not be deciding who to call in the moment — only which rung you are on. Fill in the names and numbers now, while things are calm.
You's stroke recovery + prevention plan
The discharge instructions and the neurologist’s plan: BP target, blood thinner schedule, therapy appointments, follow-up imaging.
Action plan kept: ________________________Neurology team / stroke clinic
For new symptoms, medication side effects, recovery questions. Many stroke centers have nurse navigator lines. This is your most valuable number.
Specialty team: ________________________Primary care provider
For BP, cholesterol, diabetes, vaccines, and routine prevention — all critical for stroke survivors. PCPs often coordinate the recovery team.
Primary care: ________________________911 / Emergency Department
For BE-FAST, severe headache, chest pain, falls with head strike. Always say "history of stroke" at the door — it changes triage.
Preferred ED: ________________________5 · Daily BP + Pulse Log
Tap to logEnter the morning BP top number (systolic). Track pulse in your notebook or app — AFib (irregular pulse) is a major stroke risk and changes treatment. Bring the full log to neurology visits.
Target for most stroke survivors: under 130/80. Personal target may differ — confirm with neurology. A new irregular pulse should be reported — could be AFib.
6 · Stroke Prevention Medicine Support
Daily routineStroke prevention is medicine PLUS lifestyle. The medicines are typically a blood thinner (for clots) or antiplatelet (aspirin/clopidogrel), a BP medicine, a statin, and sometimes diabetes medicines.
Watch for bleeding
Blood thinners raise bleeding risk — tell the team about unusual bruising, bleeding gums, bloody urine or stool, nosebleeds. They can usually adjust dose, not stop.
No NSAIDs
Ibuprofen, naproxen, aspirin — raise bleeding risk on blood thinners. Use acetaminophen instead. Tell the team before adding any over-the-counter medicine.
Watch for AFib
An irregular pulse or palpitations could be atrial fibrillation. AFib is a major stroke risk and changes the medicine plan. Report immediately.
Surgery / procedures
Always tell ANY clinician or dentist that you are on a blood thinner. Some procedures need a brief pause — coordinated by the team, not stopped on your own.
7 · The ER Go-Bag
Pack once, check monthlyA crisis is not the time to gather paperwork. Pack a go-bag now and keep it by the door. Tap each item as you add it — your checklist saves on this device.
8 · Speak Up / Trust the Team Guide
You boundaryThe hardest skill in patienting is knowing when to act and when to hold back. A great patient is a reliable backup and a fierce advocate — without taking your own care away from them.
💬 Speak up when…
- A red-flag rule is met and a clinician is dismissing it — restate the rule and the home plan calmly and clearly.
- You are in the ED and your home plan is being ignored — ask for it to be looked at, and ask for a senior clinician if needed.
- You are about to be given a medicine or test that wasn’t in the plan — ask why, and ask about alternatives.
- Your symptoms are escalating between visits — call before it becomes an ER trip.
- You feel unheard or rushed — it’s OK to say "I need a minute to ask one more question."
🤝 Trust the team when…
- They have proposed a guideline-based treatment that fits your plan.
- You disagree from fear rather than from new information — pause, ask one question, listen.
- You are on a stable run that’s working — small adjustments often beat big changes.
- Your care partner’s instinct and the team’s recommendation agree — that’s a strong signal.
- You’ve done your part of the homework — logs, questions, honest history — and now it’s the team’s turn.