Press release -
New Stroke program helps Survivors and their families cope with devastation after stroke
1st December 2014
New Stroke program helps Survivors and their families cope with devastation after stroke
A new Expert Stroke Program is helping people from across Buckinghamshire to come to terms with stroke and re-build their lives. The six week course covers everything from understanding stroke to dealing with legal matters.
One of the early participants in the program is Elaine Druce from Great Kimble, near Aylesbury, who had a stroke in April 2011. Elaine thought she was having another migraine when she experienced left side paralysis. The next day she was rushed into the John Radcliff Hospital in Oxford where a CT scan confirmed that she had a blood clot which then caused a bleed in her brain.
Elaine had a major operation to remove a large piece of skull to relieve the pressure in her brain. Her surgeon said the pressure would have killed her if he’d left it five minutes longer to operate. They couldn’t reverse some of the disability she had been left with and doubted if she’d ever walk again. Following intensive rehabilitation and more surgery, Elaine still has no feeling in her leg and left arm, suffers from severe fatigue and has some cognitive challenges.
Elaine said: “I thought I’d lost everything and I found it very hard to think about my future. Thanks to a lot of support from my husband, NHS staff and the Stroke Association, I’m beginning to come to terms with what has happened and find positive things to work towards.
Elaine recommends the expert program for other stroke survivors and their family members / carer’s. Over six weeks the course covers:
Understanding stroke: information and recent research regarding stroke, its effects, risk factors and secondary prevention.
Understanding recovery following stroke: mechanisms of recovery at different stages, what neuroplasticity means for stroke recovery and rehabilitation, strategies for optimizing recovery.
Healthy lifestyles following stroke: nutrition & exercise, practical daily strategies and support services available.
Cognitive/Psychological/Emotional Effects: common difficulties which follow a stroke, management strategiesand support services available.
Caring for the carer: focus on the role of carer and the support available for carers, other family members & friends.
Medication management: improved understanding of the medications used in stroke care (how they work, side-effects etc.)
Fatigue Management: Understanding, identifying and managing the effects of post-stroke fatigue
Visiting health professionals: how to prepare for visits; useful tools for self-management of one’s health.
Legal matters: Power of attorney, wills and future care planning.
Elaine adds: “Jane Libby is the Bucks Stroke Association’s Coordinator and together with Janeen Hughes run the Expert Stroke Program in Bucks talked me through some of the drugs I was on and their effects, how to understand and manage my fatigue and I found it really helpful meeting other stroke survivors and sharing experiences.
Courses are run in and near Aylesbury and High Wycombe at regular intervals. Upcoming courses include Tuesday morning sessions in Stoke Mandeville and Monday lunchtime sessions in Hazlemere. The courses are free of charge.
To reserve a place or find out more please contact Bucks Stroke Support on 0300 3300 761 or email bucksstrokesupport@stroke.org.uk.
Ends
For further information or to arrange an interview please contact
Cheryl Randeria on 07810 697957 or email Cheryl@clrcommunications.co.uk
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A stroke is a brain attack which happens when the blood supply to the brain is cut off, caused by a clot or bleeding in the brain. There are around 152,000 strokes in the UK every year and it is the leading cause of severe adult disability. There are over 1.2 million people in the UK living with the effects of stroke.
Stroke Association is a charity. We believe in life after stroke and together we can conquer stroke. We work directly with stroke survivors and their families and carers, with health and social care professionals and with scientists and researchers. We campaign to improve stroke care and support people to make the best recovery they can. We fund research to develop new treatments and ways of preventing stroke. The Stroke Helpline (0303 303 3100) provides information and support on stroke. More information can be found at www.stroke.org.uk
