After a stroke, patients often need significant physical and emotional support from families, caregivers and friends. Though many patients recover completely, others won’t regain their abilities entirely and will need help and understanding as they adapt.

Here, a Cedars-Sinai neurologist and a patient volunteer share advice for how best to support a loved one who is recovering from stroke.

“Often, recovery from stroke is a long process that takes a lot of effort from the patient, the therapists and physicians taking care of them—and from loved ones and family members,” said Konrad Schlick, MD, a Cedars-Sinai neurologist.

First, patients and their loved ones and caregivers should understand what to expect during recovery, which is different for everyone, Schlick said.

“It’s important, very early on, to have a discussion with the neurologist about what patients and their loved ones can expect,” he said. “A patient’s physician can help you understand their unique circumstances.”

Short- and long-term complications following a stroke vary, depending on the patient and their existing conditions and abilities before the stroke; the size, type and location of the stroke; and the stroke treatment they received. Patients commonly experience weakness, numbness, vision problems, aphasia (speech and language difficulty) as well as cognitive and mood issues, such as anxiety.

Read: Strokes That Are Treatable—and Beatable

Up to one-third of stroke patients experience aphasia—a condition that causes difficulty understanding or communicating with language. Aphasia can be managed with speech language therapy, but not everyone will recover.

Sometimes, the best way to help someone with aphasia is to give them time to find their words before you rush to help, said Susan Swan, who developed aphasia following a stroke and has for 14 years volunteered to lead Cedars-Sinai’s weekly Aphasia Support Group.

“After my stroke, I couldn’t speak a word,” she said. “I was struggling so much, and everyone wanted to fill in the words for me, but that can be confusing.”

Allow your loved one to take the time to express themselves. Learn to listen more and when to give clues to help. Be patient, and take breaks when someone is struggling.

“Caregivers and families need to be trained to take a minute,” Swan said. “People feel the need to fill up the silence, but it gets worse when someone is shouting at you as if you can’t hear.”

Read: Aphasia: Causes and Treatments

Loved ones should directly ask patients how to help and be receptive to their needs. Listen to what they share with you about their feelings and abilities, and respect their boundaries. Aim to find a balance—know when they want help and when you should allow them to try something on their own, even if it doesn’t seem efficient.

“Be positive and encouraging, and adapt to where your loved one is day by day,” Swan said.

Family and caregivers can attend a patient’s occupational, speech and physical therapy appointments to better understand physical changes that impact that activities of daily living. This can help make clearer what is safe for a patient to do on their own, Schlick said.

“While you want to respect a patient’s desire for independent functioning, you should also get a sense of what they can realistically do and not do,” he said. “Know what that person’s actual limitations are, as well as the help they want to receive from you.”

Finally, you seek support for yourself, if you need it.

Cedars-Sinai hosts a monthly in-person support group for stroke survivors, their caregivers and families. Meetings provide a support environment for everyone involved in stroke recovery and feature education, speakers, discussions and activities.

“Depending on their amount of involvement, sometimes loved ones and caregivers need their own support,” Schlick said. “The recovery also taxes that family member and loved one.”

Physicians can also involve social workers to identify resources available to patients and their families.

Read: Taking Care of a Loved One—and Yourself