The Stroke Network of Southeastern Ontario recently completed a community consultation. The goal of this consultation was to build on the work that was done in previous consultations, identify priority areas of change and continue to collaborate with stroke survivors and their caregivers. The consultation process was developed in collaboration with the Community Reintegration Leadership team (CRLT) which is a patient advisory group that consists of persons with stroke, caregivers and healthcare providers working in community stroke care. Feedback was collected through stroke support groups, a Qualtrics survey and interactive webinars.
Traveling throughout the region and hearing directly from persons with stroke and their family members/caregivers has been both enlightening and motivating. The stories relayed demonstrate the resilience of persons with stroke with comments such as “I try everyday”, “don’t quit” and “everyday gets better.” Stroke is described as a life altering event with one person identifying that “illness changes something in a flash,” and that those were the “most overwhelming days of my life.” Hearing these stories and experiences help understand the value of current services, how to make improvements and better support persons with stroke and their caregivers in the community. The consultation demonstrated the importance of listening and hearing the individual unique stories of persons with stroke. Many appreciated the opportunity to share with comments such as “thank you for listening.”
We heard that “services in Ontario are excellent” with many people appreciative of the care they received. We also heard about the challenges of navigating the healthcare system and how persons with stroke felt improvements could be made. The four themes that emerged from the consultation were:
- support groups and social connections;
- person-centred rehabilitation;
- individual wellbeing and mental health and
- navigations and transitions.
Two underlying principles that were emphasized across all four themes were:
- access to equitable care and
- education and awareness.
The CRLT highlighted the importance of individualized, person-centred approach to stroke care with one member stating “every stroke is like a snowflake or grain of sand”. The next step is to put what was heard into action. The CRLT reviewed the consultation results and provided input into priority recommendations for action. The results of the consultation will help guide the future of community stroke care in Southeastern Ontario and the Stroke Network of Southeastern Ontario’s workplan.
**Thank you to those that took the time to share their experiences and provide feedback**
To review preliminary results of the community consultation, please click here. A final report is currently being drafted and will be shared once complete.