Stroke Association: Lack of stroke physio puts strain on carers

A lack of community physiotherapy for stroke patients is putting a strain on carers, the Stoke Association and the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy revealed in a report today.

In a survey of 663 stroke survivors found a fifth did not receive any post-hospital physiotherapy, and 40% of those who had received no physiotherapy or a poor service said it made them more reliant on carers.

Jon Barrick, chief executive of the Stroke Association said: “Rehabilitiation can make a huge difference to stroke survivors recovery, so we must ensure that everyone receives physiotherapy if they need it.”

The report, Moving On, also revealed that stroke survivors felt that their ability to access services was restricted because of their age.

The Stroke Association’s campaigns officer, Steve Benveniste, said: “It’s an ongoing concern for some people. Because stroke mainly affects older people they feel that people assume they are not going to make a recovery.”

The report also found that only 22% of physiotherapists said they had the resources to meet their clients’ goals.

The report follows an assessment of stroke care by the National Audit Office, which found that two years after the national stroke strategy, there were still barriers between health and social care preventing good post-hospital care.

Today’s report found that over 80% of physiotherapy staff felt that the transfer of care from hospitals to community teams could be improved.

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