Oireachtas members support for heart and stroke services

Every seven minutes in Ireland, a heart or stroke patient is discharged from hospital and returns home to what is often a bleak and uncertain future.

In County Tipperary alone an estimated 19,000 people are affected by a cardiovascular condition. Among stroke survivors there is a widespread sense of abandonment caused by a lack of community rehabilitation services. At a briefing at Buswells Hotel, Dublin, last week on Wednesday, April 17, it was noted that there has been a lack of State investment in non-clinical community services which assist people in their recovery and allow people live as well as possible.

Chris Macey of the IHF said that they are saving lives, but recoveries are being squandered because of the lack of community-based services. “Research among stroke survivors in our network in 2018 revealed that 72% felt isolated, 75% depressed and 95% suffered anxiety following their stroke.

“A 2022 survey of heart failure patients showed that 74% didn't receive the psychological services they required, whilst 29% felt abandoned after their diagnosis.

“This reflects the lack of psychological services for heart failure and stroke patients nationwide. Acute stroke services have fewer than three whole-time equivalent clinical psychology posts nationally, just one in five cardiac rehabilitation services have any psychology input and there's little provision for either condition in the community,” said Chris. Oireachtas members were asked to sign a pledge to support funding for heart and stroke services. Tipperary representatives in attendance and signing the pledge were: Senator Garret Ahearn (FG), Martin Browne, TD (SF) and Mattie McGrath, TD (Ind).

Tipperary stroke survivor, Martin Quinn, was also in attendance. “I am glad to be here to support the work of the Irish Heart Foundation. The reserves of the IHF have been seriously depleted and if funding is not provided as a matter of urgency, many of the services provided by the IHF will cease. This is a very serious situation and needs urgent action,” said Martin.

NATIONAL CONFERENCE

Martin also announced at the briefing that there will be a major National Conference on Stroke, hosted by the South Tipperary Stroke Communication Group, on Monday, May 20, at the Cashel Palace Hotel, Cashel. “This is the third Stroke Conference organised by our group and this year it will be a major National Conference. The conference will run on the day from 9.30am to 1.30pm and will provide information on a range of topics. These include aphasia (difficulties with language post stroke), brain injury, rehabilitation, therapy and recovery, support for family and carers, risks and prevention, and medical advances in the treatment of stroke. We will also have an update on the National Stroke Strategy.

“One of the keynote speakers will be Professor Joe Harbison, Associate Professor and Head of Discipline of Medical Gerontology in Trinity College Dublin and practicing Geriatrician and Stroke Physician in St James’s Hospital in Dublin, and there will be a demonstration on the DCU Exoskeleton Programme (https://www.dcu.ie/exoskeleton), along with inputs from other professionals and stroke survivor stories,” said Martin.

registration

The conference will be supported by TASK Community Care, Home Instead Senior Care, Tipperary Volunteer Centre and the Irish Heart Foundation.

There is no entry fee to the conference but patrons must register on Eventbrite.