Stroke support in Gisborne

GISBORNE Stroke Support is aiming to lift its profile in the community.

The stroke community co-ordinators report presented to the AGM said there was a barrier to accessing services as there was no visible address, no contact details on the New Zealand Stroke Foundation website and there was difficulty using the telephone book.

The group was sourcing funding to increase marketing, using facebook as a promotional tool and was linking to the Sunrise Foundation. A new vehicle allowed visits to clients living in remote locations, but providing support to people living on the East Coast remained difficult for all health disability support providers.

Gisborne Stroke Support had developed a partnership with EIT School of Health Sport and Science.

That would result in students working with Gisborne people with disabilities through “self-directed’ rehabilitation in a community.

The Group’s exercise group was attracting an average weekly attendance of between 30 and 37 people.

“We envisage this number will grow when our exercise programme has been accepted as an accredited fitness programme,” said the report.

About 2245 people accessed the Group’s programmes, which was an increase of 200 this year.

The report said stroke survivors and their families were struggling to survive emotionally, financially and physically.

Gisborne Stroke Support recognised there was an increased need for the services of a social worker and life coach to help survivors with lifestyle changes.

Seventy-one stroke survivors were referred to the group in the past year, and it has 123 active clients.