Post-stroke medical and community support: Through a looking glass, backwards...

Hello Graeme

I am sorry to hear of your stroke in March last year, and how difficult and challenging life has been since that time.  It is great that you have reached out on EnableMe as there will be many others in the community who will have experienced similar feelings. 

Stroke recovery is complex, and the Healthcare system and support following a stroke can be very difficult to navigate alone.  There are services that can help, so I am pleased you have reached out here. It is important to let others know what is going on for you, so do also reach out to our allied health professionals on StrokeLine too.  We can help with breaking up the steps needed to navigate the healthcare system post stroke and provide support to determine what works well for you.

Seeking support such a neuropsychologist and Occupational therapist can help you understand and manage the changes in your thinking and planning after your stroke. Depending on your age, there are also supports through My Aged Care and the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) that can help with accessing supports and engaging with services to help get you back to the things you enjoy such as study, work, travel and your usual daily activities.

It is also important that you don’t try and just handle the things you are feeling alone. There is help available to manage feelings of exasperation and loneliness.  Support is available through psychologists or counsellors under the Mental Health Care Plan through your GP. This can be a great way to talk about your feelings and work on ways to better cope with the feelings of isolation and loneliness.

 EnableMe is also a great way to feel less alone.  You can connect to many others with similar lived experience to you and find a community of people who understand.  There are also support groups available that provide face to face or online support depending on where you live. You can find a list of these here.

It would be good to talk with you more specifically Graeme, so do reach out to StrokeLine. You can give us a call on Ph. 1800 787 653 or email us on strokeline@strokefoundation.org.au. We are open Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm AEDT.

Warm regards

Siobhan (StrokeLine)