The Stroke Network of Southeastern Ontario wants to congratulate the Providence Care Outpatient Stroke Rehabilitation Program team for their successful program launch! The multidisciplinary team shown above, pictured left to right, includes Olivia Manning (Project Coordinator/Physiotherapist (PT), Zanna Farmer, Occupational Therapist (OT), Jen Tam, Physiotherapist (PT), Nick Van Lier Social Worker (MSW/RSW), Sheryl Gibson, Program Supervisor, and Teresa Whalen, Speech Language Pathologist (SLP) in addition not present for the photo are therapy assistant(s) Allie Palmer, Deanna Mallette, Megan Dijkema (OTA/PTA). The program will soon include a Communication Disorders Assistant (CDA) another important allied health professional in stroke care.
Community News
The workshop, “Communicating with Persons with Aphasia: Putting it Into Practice”, was hosted at Providence Care Hospital in Founder’s Hall. The 58 participants included a variety of health care providers from acute care, rehabilitation, complex continuing care, outpatient and community programs, long-term care and other related settings. The large number of participants demonstrated the keen interest of those who care for people with aphasia to learn more and refresh their knowledge and skills
June is Stroke Awareness Month and there is much to celebrate! The stroke care system in our region is well established and continues to improve. This is supported by the ongoing commitment and compassion of everyone working in stroke care in our region, across the full continuum of care. To celebrate Stroke month, there are many events going on at National and Local levels. Stroke Survivor Support Groups are working with local Community Support Agencies to help get key messages out again this year!
“We all work together to make things better” ~Stroke Survivor
The Community Stroke Support Services: Southeastern Ontario Annual Report for 2022-23 and the 2023 Consultation Report, What We Heard: Enhancing Individualized Community Stroke Services are now complete. Outstanding and innovative work to support stroke survivors and their families/caregivers across the region has been demonstrated over the past year.
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.
Despite the struggles of the past few years, the performance of our stroke system continues to be strong. This is due to the ongoing dedication, compassion, and hard work of everyone working in stroke care in our region, across the full continuum of care. Thank you to all who help our joint vision to become a reality: “Fewer strokes, Better outcomes”.
Stroke Awareness Month is in June and there are many events going on at a National, Regional and Local level
The Stroke Network of Southeastern Ontario is currently completing a community consultation. The feedback collected from this consultation will build on previous consultations and be used to guide community stroke care in the future. An example of how this information is utilized to improve community stroke care is the creation of stroke support groups in Southeastern Ontario following the first ever community consultation.
We are excited to share that a new resource is now available for healthcare providers working with stroke in the community and long-term care setting! Smart Tips for Stroke Care is a collection of 15 fact sheets that are quick and easy to navigate. These fact sheets cover a range of topics related to stroke and smart tips for how to care for a person with stroke.
We know that exercise provides many benefits including reducing risk factors for having a stroke. The Canadian Stroke Best Practice Recommendations state that most individuals that are medically stable should start an exercise program after having a stroke and recommends at least 150 minutes of exercise per week. Stroke-specific exercise programs are designed specifically to meet the needs of persons with stroke.
The Community Stroke Support Services: Southeastern Ontario Annual Report and Infographic have been released. This report is produced annually in partnership with the Community Support Agencies involved in the delivery of Stroke Support Services: Community Care for South Hastings (HPE), VON – Greater Kingston Area (KFLA) and Community and Primary Health Care (LLG).