The Heart and Stroke Foundation and Health PEI are seeking feedback from stroke survivors and caregivers about their experiences through an online and paper survey which will help guide program planning for the final phase of the provincial organized stroke care program.
A series of six stroke survivor and caregiver group discussions were held across Prince Edward Island in May, June and July. The online survey is a complement to those discussions and will ensure that stroke survivors and caregivers who were not able to participate have the opportunity to share their experiences and provide their feedback. The survey also gives an opportunity for those participating in recent focus groups to further share their thoughts and experiences.
“A recent Foundation report shows that half of Canadians are directly affected by stroke – and that one in five of us has provided care to a stroke survivor,” says Charlotte Comrie, CEO, PEI Heart and Stroke Foundation and co-chair of the Organized Stroke Care Community Re-integration Working Group. “Insights gained from our discussions with stroke survivors and their caregivers, along with results from this survey, will inform our future decisions on how best to bring information, help and hope to the approximately 800 stroke survivors and their caregivers living in PEI.”
With the first two phases of the provincial organized stroke care program underway, staff and stakeholders are now focused on Phase III planning in the area of community re-integration. As part of this work, there is an effort underway to understand the needs of stroke survivors upon their return to their home communities following treatment for stroke, as well as the needs of caregivers (friends, family, loved ones) who are assisting stroke survivors during this time.
“From the group discussions, we have learned first-hand the challenges and realities stroke survivors and caregivers face once they leave hospital,” says Marilyn Barrett, Director of Primary Care Networks & Chronic Disease Prevention/Management for Health PEI and co-chair of the Organized Stroke Care Community Re-integration Working Group. “We’ve learned that we need to do a better job of providing information on what stroke survivors and caregivers can expect after hospital care; we also need to do a better job of helping our communities understand how a stroke impacts a person and how communities can help in that transition from hospital to home. Feedback from the survey will help us better define how we go about doing this work.”
Stroke survivor and caregiver surveys will be available until August 31 and are easily accessible by:
• visiting Health PEI’s website at www.healthpei.ca/stroke
• calling the Heart and Stroke Foundation’s Charlottetown office at 1.888.473.4636
• visiting a Primary Health Care Centre (a list of locations is available at www.healthpei.ca/healthcentres)
For more information on Prince Edward Island’s organized stroke care program, visit www.healthpei.ca/stroke.
Background
Organized Stroke Care promotes a coordinated approach to early detection and assessment of warning signs of stroke, and timely access to appropriate treatments and specialized health care providers.
Goals of the Organized Stroke Care program:
• Reduce the incidence of stroke on PEI
• Reduce deaths and disabilities due to stroke
• Reduce the financial burden of stroke
• Improve recovery from stroke
• Improve the quality of life for stroke survivors
Organized Stroke Care Implementation Timeline:
Phase I: Provincial-level Services (complete)
• Provincial Stroke Care Coordinator position
• Provincial Acute Stroke and Stroke Rehabilitations Units at QEH
• Secondary Stroke Prevention Clinic at PCH (pilot program)
Phase II: Ambulatory Stroke Services (implementation nearly complete)
• Ambulatory (outpatient) stroke rehab services QEH and PCH
• Provincial stroke rehabilitation assessment clinic
• Provincial Secondary Stroke Prevention Services
Phase III: Community Re-integration Services (in planning process)
• Access to therapy (out-patient or in-home)
• Community support services
Progress to Date:
So far, early results have shown positive impacts, including:
• Decrease in length of stay in hospital for acute stroke care
• Decrease in length of stay in hospital for stroke rehabilitation
• Strong program partnership with other health care initiatives and services
• Patients reporting that they are satisfied with stroke-related care they receive