• Stroke survivors tell us that stroke support groups form a vital part of their recovery after stroke. There are a variety of associations and organsiations offering different services and advice including:

Stroke support we offer:

StrokeLine 1800 STROKE (1800 787 653)

Support for Carers 

State Stroke Associations 

StrokeConnect Phone - Sharing, supporting, connecting

Talk to a stroke survivor or carer who has travelled the stroke recovery journey and knows about the challenges you face.

We know talking to another person who has first hand experienced of stroke can help stroke survivors and carers feel reassured, less alone and encouraged in their own recovery journey.

Fellow survivors and carers can:

1.     Listen and share their own  experiences
2.     Offer emotional and practical support
3.     Give understanding
4.     Answer questions
5.     Share tips on what might help
6.     Share knowledge of services and information available

Call the National Stroke Foundation’s StrokeConnect Phone free number 1800 787 653

‘Dream, Believe, Achieve’ Stroke Self Management Program

Self-management programs are recognised as an effective strategy for managing chronic conditions. The NSF has developed and tested an 8 week stroke specific self-management program, with findings indicating that the program is safe, feasible and generates good health outcomes for stroke survivors.

This 8 week education program is co-facilitated by a health professional and either a stroke survivor or carer, often delivered at a venue in the community and runs for 2.5hrs/wk.  Topics covered include;

1. Introduction to the Stroke Self Management Program.
2. Sharing the stroke journey.
3. How does stroke make you feel?
4. Attitudes to stroke recovery.
5. Moving towards a healthy lifestyle: leisure activities, social support and financial matters.
6. Moving towards a healthy lifestyle: working with health professionals.
7. Moving towards a healthy lifestyle: learning to be stroke safe for life.
8. “Where to from here”?

The program is for stroke survivors and their carers, including:

• Survivors with cognitive impairment,
• Language difficulties and/ or high levels of physical disability 
• 18 yrs and over
• Returning to the community

Models of service delivery have also been explored to identify the most successful and sustainable means of ensuring equity and access to the program. A successful locally coordinated, locally delivered capacity building model of self management support has been developed in Warrnambool, Victoria which delivers similar high quality results as NSF findings.

This approach to delivering the self management program is now being trialed in Queensland. Five sites have been selected to translate, test and evaluate a locally coordinated, locally delivered capacity building model of self-management support to enable local stroke services to deliver the stroke self-management program to the stroke population. Evaluation of those programs will enable the NSF to determine if local implementation of the self management program can be expanded across Queensland and Australia.

The selected QLD sites are: Gold Coast Community Rehabilitation Program, Logan Community Rehab Team, Metro North Health Services Community Based Rehab Team, Toowoomba Adult Rehab Services, and Townsville Hospital.
For further queries please contact:

Samara Phillips                            
Project Officer               
Self Management Program                   
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it    

Patrick Groot
Stroke liaison consultant
South West Healthcare        
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Schedule for the Self Management Program 2012 (Queensland Only)

METRO Locations

• Location: Logan CBRT, Metro Sth   
• Contact: Sarah Patterson. Phone: 07 32908900   
• Date: 8th Feb 12 – 28th March 12

• Location: Metro Nth CRT, Caboolture CHC   
• Contact: Kirrily Goodall or Sonia Guerneri. Phone: 07 54338789   
• Date: 1st Feb 12-21st March 12 - am

• Location: Bundall CRT, Gold Coast HS   
• Contact: Kim Ferry. Phone: 07 56673512   
• Date: 13th Feb 12 – 2nd April 12

REGIONAL locations:

• Location: Townsville Hospital   
• Contact: Ian Meade. Phone: 07 479623740   
• Date: 29th Mar 12 – 11th April 12

• Location: Toowoomba Adult Rehab Service   
• Contact: Jennie Lettieri. Phone 07 4616 6000   
• Date: 31st Jan 12 – 20th Mar 12 (9:30-11am)

• Location: Warwick Hospital   
• Contact: Jacinta Fromm. Phone: 07 46603900   
• 16th Feb 12 – 5th April 12

• Location: Rockhampton Hospital  
• Contact: Annette Horton. Phone: 07 49325100   
• Date:1st Feb 12 – 21st March 12