A new stroke support group has arrived in Bancroft.
On the last Tuesday of every month, from 1-3 p.m., a support group for people who have experienced a stroke and for stroke caregivers will meet at the Quinte Health North Hastings Hospital.
Co-hosted by Quinte Health and Community Care for South Hastings, the group is open to anyone who lives in North Hastings, regardless of how long ago they had a stroke.
Lorraine Pyle is the stroke support co-ordinator for Hastings and Prince Edward counties and co-facilitates the group. She said having a community of people at different stages of recovery can be very helpful.
“A stroke is a stroke is a stroke is a stroke. It doesn’t matter…people may have had a stroke ten years ago and are well into a very successful recovery [and] are the best teachers,” she said.
She said that during the group meetings, attendees spend one hour all together and another hour split into two groups – stroke survivors and stroke caregivers.
Focus topics could include understanding a stroke, the different kinds of strokes and parts of the brain and what they do.
“Because every stroke is like a snowflake, it’s all different. Everybody is different.
“We might take a look at the invisible effects of stroke. Nobody ever seems to want to recognize those ones. People can see that they may be paralyzed on one side or the other…but they don’t see the invisible – the depression, memory loss, maybe a declined cognition.”
Pyle said socialization can have a significant impact on how someone recovers from a stroke.
She said for caregivers, it’s important for them to have access to resources that will help them avoid burnout.
“Taking care of themselves is just as important as taking care of their loved one. And finding and being able to access some of the resources to allow them to do that is fundamental information for them to have…You can’t pour from an empty cup,” she said.
For more information and to join the group, you can contact Pyle at 613-969-0130 or lorrainep@ccsh.ca.
