What is the service?
A community based rehabilitation team that offers mid to long term support and rehabilitation to stroke patients and their families at home after they have been through other stroke services, i.e. hospital or the Early Supported Discharge Team. We offer our services for as long as there is an identified need to continue rehabilitation.
What does the service do?
The team provides rehabilitation and support after discharge from hospital. The team ensures that rehabilitation continues at home to optimise the person’s independence and function. We aim to fit recovery and rehabilitation into a person’s normal day to day life and focus on increasing independence with personal care or domestic life and returning to activities that they value such as work, hobbies, parenting, socializing and more. The rehabilitation is carried out in the patient’s home, or place of residence, and is based on goals agreed with the individual patient. There is no time limit on our service, as long as there are goals to work on, we can remain involved.
We have a wide knowledge of other agencies and voluntary groups that can help stroke survivors and can point people in their direction or make direct referrals on their behalf.
We can assess for and provide specialist equipment that maybe needed, such as bathing aids, walking aids etc.
Type of staff
The multi-disciplinary team has a wide range of specialist skills in stroke rehabilitation including physiotherapy, speech and language therapy, occupational therapy, mental health nurse and support workers.
Access to service/referral
All people that are seen by the Community Stroke Team are required to have been through the ‘Stroke Pathway’, i.e. have had their stroke formally diagnosed by stroke specialist services at hospital. People can then be referred by staff at the hospital, the Early Supported Discharge Team, their GP or other health care staff they come into contact with. Once someone has been seen by the team they have ‘open access’ to the service and can self-refer back to the service for up to two years after their stroke.
From 21 January 2013 referrals should be made through the Nottingham Health and Care Point on 0300 300 3333 or use the online form here.
Why might I need this service?
You might need this service if you have been admitted to hospital having had a Stroke. Strokes can have a wide range of effects on people’s function and independence. For example, this may be with activities such as walking or everyday activities such as cooking or dressing, speech or swallowing difficulties, memory or mood problems. The team can also work on helping you get back to work. We work with people and their carers on goals that they set to improve their independence, quality of life and stroke recovery.
Location of treatment
Patients are seen in their own homes or place of residence or any appropriate community venue according to their rehabilitation needs.
More information
www.atastroke.org.uk – a Nottingham based patient run advocacy and support group.
www.stroke.org.uk – The Stroke Association. This web site is good source of information for people who have had a stoke or know someone who has.
www.ukconnect.org – Connect is a UK charity for people with aphasia (speech problems) that offer information and support.
http://www.differentstrokes.co.uk – a charity run to support younger stroke survivors.