People in Wiltshire who have experienced a stroke will now have access to a brand new range of services from The Stroke Association.

These services, which will launch on Thursday 25 June, will offer support to stroke survivors and their families or carers.

Thanks to funding from Wiltshire Council, three new Stroke Association support workers have been recruited.

The charity’s support workers will visit people who have had a stroke and their families or carers at home to provide emotional and practical support, to help them navigate their way through the complicated pathway of obtaining benefits and finding ways to regain their independence.

They will be available to listen to the problems that people are experiencing post stroke and help signpost them towards the services they need, facilitate access to support networks and advise them on how they might cope with difficulties they are experiencing.

They will take referrals from families, GPs, social care professionals, hospital staff or stroke survivors themselves, and will have access to a raft of information to help deal with both specific issues and the psychological effects of stroke.

Another element of the service is what is known as ‘befriending’ – pairing a client up with someone local to them. This might be another stroke survivor or carer who has had a similar experience to them, or perhaps a volunteer who has the time to drop by for a cup of tea and a chat, or to help with the weekly shop.

Stroke support workers will also aim to help prevent the occurrence of strokes in Wiltshire by raising awareness of how people can reduce their own risk.

Sarah Miller, Stroke Association’s Assistant Regional Manager for the South West, said: “We are absolutely delighted to be able to offer these services to people in Wiltshire. Often, people who’ve had a stroke will say that the full impact of their condition hits them once they’ve left hospital and try to get back to daily life. It can be a confusing time when it’s sometimes difficult to find the help and support that’s out there, not just for those who’ve had a stroke themselves but for the people close to them. There is, however, a lot of support available and the support workers are there to listen, to help and to point people in the right direction.”

Sandie Lewis from Wiltshire Council said: “We are very happy to be working in partnership with The Stroke Association to improve the quality of life for people affected by a stroke.”

The new services will complement the existing Communication Support Service available to stroke survivors across Salisbury and Devizes.

This service, run by The Stroke Association’s Aileen Stark, works with people who have had a stroke, and their families, on all aspects of communication. The aim is to build up confidence and achieve the best possible level of recovery and independence in language skills. Aileen’s group meets on Wednesdays and Thursdays.

For more information about any of the stroke support services in Wiltshire, please call 01722 329 053.