SUPPORT FOR STROKE SURVIVORS

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SUPPORT FOR STROKE SURVIVORS

• Stroke Conference 2006
• Bruce McCallum
• Susan Kerrigan

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• Stroke is a complex and devastating disease
• In Ontario, there are an estimated 100,000 people
  living with the effects of stroke
• HSFO, 2006

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• Despite treatment advances, stroke remains a
  leading cause of morbidity and mortality
• 29 of stroke patients die within one year
• 20 of these will die within 3 months

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Best Practice Guidelines for Stroke Care

• Designed to assist in delivering the highest
  level of stroke care throughout the continuum of
  care (prevention, treatment, rehabilitation,
  community reintegration)
• 19. Assist stroke survivors to maintain,
  enhance, and develop appropriate social support.

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• In recent years there have been many
  accomplishments in implementing best practice
  guidelines for stroke care across the continuum
• Ambulance bypass
• t-PA
• Canadian Neurological Scale

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Stroke Recovery Canada

• Developed in Ontario in 1975
• Peer Support Group engaging in various activities

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Peer Support Group

• Stroke survivors can be as tough as nails and at
  the same time fragile as crystal
• Focus on community needs
• Increase visibility in the community

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New Programs

• University Student Program
• Ad Hoc Program (aphasia)
• Conductive Education
• Crusader Program

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October 2005

• Stroke Recovery Chapters from Waterloo/Wellington
  joined forces to develop and promote 2 projects
• Guelph Wellington
• Cambridge
• Kitchener/Waterloo

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2 projects

• Stroke Recovery Volunteer Program
• Walk-A-Block

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Stroke Recovery Volunteer Program

• Trained volunteers visiting stroke survivors in
  hospital prior to discharge
• Deliver positive message of hope
• Act as a mentor to help the stroke survivor onto
  the path of recovery

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GOAL

• to provide information, support and hope to
  stroke survivors and caregivers on a short term
  basis, and to help re-engagement of stroke
  survivors into the community

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Workshop

• Characteristics of a good volunteer
• Feelings experienced by a stroke survivor
• Structuring the visit
• Helpful things to say to provide encouragement
• Importance of listening
• Guidelines for visiting patients with limitations
  (eg. aphasia, deaf)

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Evidence Based Review of Stroke Rehabilitation
(Teasell, et.al.)

• The association between strong social support and
  improved functional outcomes is very impressive
• Emotional support in particular is correlated
  with better functional outcomes

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Walk-a-Block
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Peer Support

• Research demonstrates that supportive
  relationships help contribute to positive
  adjustment and buffer against stressors and
  adversities
• Offer a sense of belonging and positive feedback
  of a persons self worth

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Types of Support

• Emotional support
• Esteem, attachment, reassurance
• Instrumental support
• Educational materials
• Information support
• Advice, guidance, and feedback
• Solomon, 2005

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• Stroke recovery volunteers are a positive
  reinforcement for the stroke survivor and
  demonstrate that there is life after a stroke

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Benefits to the Volunteer

• Make an impact on anothers life
• Volunteer has gained as much as has given to
  another
• Working with others
• Enhanced sense of self
• Increase membership of each chapter

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Challenges

• Practice change takes time
• Visibility of new program (volunteer visitor and
  pamphlets)
• Building trust (training and privacy)
• Time lag to complete credentialing process

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Key Factors for Success

• Keen and active Stroke Recovery Chapter members
• Volunteer Coordinator
• Stroke Recovery Chapter organized specific stroke
  training and manual

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End Goal

• Addition of a stroke recovery volunteer to the
  interdisciplinary team
• Addition of stroke recovery volunteer program to
  the care map
• National program

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References

• Health Promotion and Stroke Prevention (2004)
  Ontario Prevention Clearinghouse. Toronto.
• Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario. Best
  Practice Guidelines for Stroke Care. Toronto.
• RNAO (2005). Stroke Assessment Across the
  Continuum of Care. Toronto.

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References

• Solomon, P. (2004). Peer Support/Peer Provided
  Services Underlying Processes, Benefits, and
  Critical Ingredients. Psychiatric Rehabilitation
  Journal.
• Teasell, R.W., Foley, N., Bhogal, S., Speechey,
  M. (2003). Retrieved from www.ebrse.com/indexhome
  .html