In addition to the care that you receive from health and social care professionals, you may also require other types of support to help you live as full a life as possible after your stroke.
There are many organisations that provide help and advice, such as the Stroke Association, Different Strokes and local stroke groups.
People may want to meet with other stroke survivors and have help with communication skills, returning to work, driving and other everyday activities.
Many people find the recovery phase after a stroke a challenging time and the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) recommends that all patients are assessed for mood disturbance within six weeks of diagnosis.
It is important that the NHS and local authorities also provide support to the carers of people who have had a stroke. A range of support is provided by many organisations including Carers UK, the Princess Royal Trust for Carers as well as the various stroke charities. The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence recommends that carers are provided with a named contact, written information and practical training.
What you can expect
These are the standards that you should expect:
National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) Quality Standard for Stroke
Carers of patients with stroke are provided with a named point of contact for stroke information, written information about the patient's diagnosis and management plan, and sufficient practical training to enable them to provide care.
What this means for you:
- Carers play an essential role in your recovery and the specialist stroke team must provide them with information, advice and training to support your recovery.
- Where appropriate, they should refer you to social services who will be able to provide further help and support.
The Care Quality Commission has rated local services to carers provided by health and social care by Primary Care Trust area.
