Two new stroke support groups

Group photo The Kerry Stroke Support Group had its first meeting on the 29th of October, 2009 in the Meadowlands Hotel in Tralee.  The support group was set up by HSE employees from the Castleisland Community Day Care Centre and Tralee Health Centre.  The steering committee is made up of speech and language therapists, physiotherapists, occupational therapists and social workers who regularly see stroke patients and recognised the need for a support group in Kerry through speaking with their patients.  

The first meeting introduced the attendees and there were represdentatives of the well-established Limerick Stroke Support Group and the Irish Heart Foundations’ Stroke Action campaign team.  The meeting ended with a questions and Answers session.  The group met again in November in the Meadowlands hotel, Dr. Richard Liston, a consultant Geriatrician & Physician in the Kerry General Hospital, spoke to the group about stroke recovery treatments. 

The next meeting of the Kerry group is scheduled for the 28th of January, 2010 at 7.30pm in the Meadowlands Hotel, Tralee.   At the previous meeting in November the group decided to have a talk from the Occupational Therapy Department and one of the occupational therapists on the primary care team has kindly offered to present.  The steering committee for the group also asked those in attendance at the last meeting to complete a questionnaire about what direction they would like to see the group develop.  For more information on the Kerry support group please contact Margaret Jones on 086 7871375. 

The second newly established group is run by the Barchester Care Group in the Knightsbridge Nursing Home and Retirement Village in Longwood Rd, Trim, Co. Meath.  The support group meets on the first Wednesday of the month from 11.30am and is open to the public.  This support group will runs an hour and a half, there is a social aspect to it, through which attendees can exchange experiences.  A physiotherapist and  different guest speakers will also  explain useful stroke-related exercises.  The group hopes to become a weekly service in the future.  For more information on this group please contact Mark Hennessy on 046 9482700 or email care@barchester.ie.