The past two and a half years have been trying times for the elderly, but when the danger of stroke is never far away in addition to contracting the virus itself, it’s time to take notice. Some may say that investing in aged-care programmes through finances like a reverse mortgage is a sign of getting ready for that emergency.
Cardiovascular ailments (stroke, heart attacks and heart failure)
A Washington University study published in the health portal Nature Medicine postulated that a mild case of COVID-19 increased the vulnerability of survivors to cardiovascular ailments such as stroke, heart attacks and heart failure. The conclusion was based on US Department of Veterans Affairs data monitoring 153,760 veterans, against two sets of control groups totalling almost ten million veterans who are still safe from the virus.
The COVID survivors were analysed for possible occurrence of cardiovascular disease between 30 days to a year after recovering from the infection. The data revealed that during that timeframe, they stood a 52 per cent higher chance of going down with a stroke as opposed to people in the control groups. In addition, there was also 63 per cent higher risk of heart attack and the odds of heart failure were estimated at 72 per cent, plus warning signs of serious blood clotting in the lungs. All in all, the study pegged that for every 1,000 people who tested positive, there may be five more strokes, three additional heart attacks, and 12 more heart failure cases. It is not known if the listed COVID survivors all exhibited symptoms or asymptomatic in some cases.
Previous research
Previous research established that COVID-19 affects the heart through inflammation of heart muscles and thickening the blood. One variation of stroke, ischaemic stroke, is possible when the thickening blood turns into a clot somewhere in the brain. The clot denies brain tissue of vital nutrients from the blood, affecting various body functions and the symptoms range from fainting spells to numbness on one side of the body.
In poring over the study, the team at Australia’s The Conversation said that while the data concerned mostly American men of Caucasian descent, the possibly high incidence of those cardiovascular ailments cannot be impossible to ignore, given that at least 10m cases have been recorded in Australia, with over 14,000 fatalities. They also stressed the importance of stringent measures against infection such as continuous wearing of facemasks and continued vaccination drives.
The ASAG Reverse Mortgage — preparing for possible stroke during COVID
For seniors who may have had a mild bout with COVID-19 so far but fear a second infection or heart issues, taking out an ASAG Reverse Mortgage can go some way to financing an Aged Care programme at home.
Consultation with an established home-care provider will help iron out the desired specifics of the programme, even more if a senior or close loved one was hit with a stroke. These include general house chores, a meal plan, personal hygiene, and physical therapy. In light of the danger of COVID-19 infection, the programme can open options to invest in further protective gear such as facemasks, ethyl alcohol in bulk, air purifiers and disinfectant sprays.
Some may say that being hit with a stroke gradually douses the fire out of a person’s will to live, even in retirement. It’s not too late to make some changes and remain fully able in your later years. Start covering the bases by calling ASAG at 1300 002 724 or send an email at info@asagfirst.com.au.
You may also get started by using our tool below to assess your available equity.