Stroke workshop ‘gave us a lot of tips and tools’
Tuesday, February 27, 2007 -- Natalie Miller
Long-term care home employees are enthusiastic about a recent workshop they attended on supporting people who’ve had a stroke.

“It gave us a lot of tips and tools for dealing with behaviours, communication, positioning and feeding,” says Karen Coulter, life enrichment supervisor at Pleasant Meadow Manor in Norwood.

“It gave us so much insight.”

Coulter and Pleasant Meadow colleague restorative care aide Kathy Herron were among about 40 long-term care employees who attended a workshop delivered in Peterborough by the Central East Stroke Network.

The education is part of an Ontario-wide stroke strategy funded by the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care. The Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care and the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario have worked together to develop a stroke prevention strategy and make recommendations for emergency and acute care and rehabilitation.
The report of the Joint Stroke Strategy Working Group, ‘Towards an Integrated Stroke Strategy’, was released in June 2000. This report is considered a roadmap for stroke care in Ontario and includes 15 recommendations for strengthening prevention efforts and establishing a co-ordinated system of stroke care, according to the Heart and Stroke Foundation.

“This is a program that has been prepared by the Heart and Stroke Foundation, says Bernice Miller, regional education co-ordinator for the Central East Stroke Network.

It’s designed to be delivered to nursing home staff across the province.

“Many of the persons they’re dealing with are living with stroke,” says Miller. She notes in Ontario approximately 20 per cent of residents in provincially-funded long-term care homes have the associated diagnosis of stroke. “It’s an issue for caregivers.”

Participants received education in four different modules of stroke care with experts leading each of the sessions on communication, anatomy of stroke, mobility and cognition and perception.

“It was just fabulous,” says Herron of Pleasant Meadow.

“It talked about positioning for stroke residents, feeding, skin care and dynamics of residents who’ve had left or right side strokes. “It was so interesting.” Herron works with the home’s physiotherapist two days a week and says “positioning for our residents is very important.” She learned how to better support a person who uses a geriatric chair by positioning the resident so he or she isn’t leaning. Herron says she also learned where to stand beside a resident who has experienced a stroke that impacted one side of the body.

April Anderson, life enrichment co-ordinator at Burnbrae Gardens in Campbellford also attended the recent session and found it valuable. She says the tool kit provided, containing videos and literature, is designed so others in the home can be trained in stroke care.

“We hope they go back and share this information with their colleagues – make it actionable,” says Miller. She says even if one person puts into practice something they’ve learned it’s a success. Better yet would be having long-term care homes develop protocols on best practices.

The Central East Stroke Network will deliver two more educational sessions – March 1 for the York district and March 6 for an Orillia audience.

Visit http://profed.heartandstroke.ca/ for a complete list of resources for long-term care.