North East stroke survivors feel abandoned after treatment
A recent study found that almost half of stroke patients in the North East feel forgotten about once they leave hospital.
Figures published today by the Stroke Association found that 43% of stroke survivors here in the North East feel abandoned by the healthcare once they’ve been discharged from hospital.
The charity surveyed over 1,100 stroke survivors living in England about their experience of stroke care and support. The findings also reveal that:
Two fifths (38%) of stroke survivors in the North East reported that they left hospital without a care plan, returning home without appropriate support in place for their recovery.
More than a third (36%) of stroke survivors in the North East said they were not contacted by a healthcare professional when they returned home from hospital.
A third (31%) of stroke survivors in the North East stated that they did not receive a vital six-month assessment of their health and social care needs. These assessments monitor how well stroke survivors are recovering and identify additional, tailored support that may be needed to prevent unnecessary readmissions to hospital and care homes.
The study also found that people who have suffered a stroke here in the North East, do not have access to adequate therapy and support they desperately need in order to cope with the physical, mental and emotional impact of a stroke.
22 Year old Michael Waldin from Darlington knows first-hand that the recovery process can be frustrating. He suffered a sudden stroke after playing a rugby match:
“It’s the want to get better and not knowing how to get access to the right medical care and feeling that you’ve been left – stuck in your house without any help. That’s when you start to feel abandoned and don’t know what to do”
He says a lack of support can start to impact your mental health:
“With the physical problems can come mental problems, with people going from active working lifestyles to suddenly being stuck at home and not being able to do stuff. So they feel even more forgotten about without the support they need”
The Stroke Association is launching a major new campaign, A New Era for Stroke, which calls on the Government to commit to a new stroke strategy. The current 10-year National Stroke Strategy for England ends in 2017, and the charity is warning that stroke survivors’ recovery will continue to be put at serious risk unless the Government commits to a new strategy.
Peter Moore is the Regional Director for the North East:
“I think the results speak for themselves, we desperately need this to improve. Stroke survivors and their carers are being let down and we cannot allow that to continue”