The "Life after Stroke" workshop, held by Stroke Aotearoa, will be held at the Windsor Retirement Village Community lounge on February 12 from 1pm until 3.30pm.
The workshop will cover a variety of topics, such as secondary stroke prevention, tips for rehabilitation at home, and fatigue management. Attendees can expect talks from people with expertise in the field, with an Occupational Therapist, a Clinical Nurse Specialist in Stroke and host and Community Stroke Navigator Judith Hyslop providing a valuable pathway forward.
Mrs Hyslop said they had already held successful workshops in Dunedin, Southland and Central Otago, and was ready to provide information — and also a social experience for those afflicted by strokes.
"It’s important for the audience to get the information out there that there is life after stroke, and it’s great to get like minded-people together," she said.
The workshops were valuable to gather connections in an area and community, to find and reach out to those who need help, and Mrs Hyslop said this was the key.
"It’s all about connecting with others in the community. Part of our role is to help connect people with the community, to work with families, help them move forward.
"Navigating the system too, because the systems not easy, and particularly in rural communities it can be a challenge," she said.
Strokes can affect anyone, Mrs Hyslop said, with around 25-30% of people having a stroke under 65 years of age, and it was important to help them refocus.
"Some of the success stories are perhaps utilising our return to work service, someone might not be able to play outdoors any more, but there’s other things they can participate in.
"Why not be the person who sells the raffles, that does some other meaningful task, and remain connected to their community?" she said.
Strokes were the leading cause of adult disability in New Zealand, and Mrs Hyslop stressed the need to prevent secondary strokes, help mobility, and other tips and tricks at the free workshop.
