Integrated & Community Services - HMR Community Stroke Team

Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale Community Stroke Team
Tel: 01706 517772. Office hours: Monday to Friday 8am-4pm

Staff involved in my rehab:

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What is a stroke?

A stroke is a serious medical condition that happens when the blood supply to part of the brain is cut off. Strokes are a medical emergency and urgent treatment is essential. The sooner a person receives treatment for a stroke, the less damage is likely to happen.

There are 2 main types of strokes:

Ischaemic – the most common, where blood supply to the brain is stopped because of a blood clot.

Haemorrhagic – where a weakened blood vessel supplying the brain bursts causing a bleed in the brain.

What causes a stroke?

Certain factors can increase the risk of having a stroke including:

• High blood pressure
• High cholesterol
• Irregular heartbeats (AF)
• Diabetes

© Stroke Association

Symptoms of a stroke 

You can use the phrase FAST to remember stroke symptoms.

How can I reduce the risk of having a stroke?

• Eat well
• Regular exercise
• Follow alcohol advice (not drinking more than 14 units/week)
• Quit smoking

Information taken from the NHS and Stroke Association websites

About our Service

We are the Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale (HMR) Community Stroke Team. We work closely with adults who have had a stroke and will benefit from rehabilitation.

We will see you within your own home or in a community clinic.

The Stroke team consists of stroke specialist physiotherapists, occupational therapists, speech and language therapists, a stroke specialist nurse and therapy assistants, in addition to administrators.

We work closely with other agencies such as the Stroke Association, GPs and social services to ensure that you get the best possible care.

Our Team

Occupational Therapists

Support with difficulties you may be having with daily activities. Provide support if you are having difficulty with organising, planning or memory changes. Suggest home adjustments including the use of aids (such as handrails). Give advice in relation to returning to work and driving.

Physiotherapists

Can assess muscle weakness, changes in tone, mobility or balance and work to provide appropriate treatments regarding symptom changes.

Speech and Language Therapists

Provide assessment and treatment for communication difficulties (including impairments in reading, writing, speech and understanding others). They also assess swallowing and saliva management, as well as facial weakness/facial droop.

Stroke Nurse

Can contact your GP if there are any issues or changes needing to be made to your medication. Can provide advice on healthy lifestyle changes and support with high or low blood pressure management.

Therapy Assistants

Support and guide you to achieve your therapy goals by facilitating the work of other health care professionals in the team.

Your road to recovery

A stroke can be a life changing event, with long-term effects. Everyone’s experience is different.

Common effects of a stroke include, fatigue, weakness, changes in sensation, difficulties with speech and swallowing, emotional problems or changes in memory.

Our aim is to set you on a rehabilitation path. You could notice improvements in what you can do for months, even years.

You might not get back to how you were before, but we can support you in making the best recovery possible.

Setting goals can help you with this, here are some ideas:

• I will shower by myself
• I will make healthy lifestyle changes
• I will walk around the house
• I will speak to friends on the phone

Home Blood Pressure Diary 

To use if you have been advised by a health professional to monitor your blood pressure.

Monitor and record your blood pressure at home for 7 consecutive days (minimum 5). In the notes section, write down anything that could affect your reading, such as feeling unwell or changes to your medication.

Remember to bring this diary to your review.

When to measure:

• Monitor your blood pressure in the morning and evening at roughly the same time
• Measure your morning blood pressure before you take your medication
• Don't exercise, smoke, eat or drink caffeine in the 30 minutes before measurements

Measuring blood pressure:

• Do sit quietly for 5 minutes before starting measurements (no TV, talking, reading, phone use)
• Do sit with feet flat on the floor, legs uncrossed, upper arm bare, back and arm supported.
• Do write down the numbers in the table below exactly as they appear on the monitor screen - do not round up or down

Useful Contacts

Adult Care Services - 0300 303 8886

Millbrook (formerly Rosscare) (to send equipment back) - 0161 344 0482

Regional Driving Assessment Centre (RDAC) - 0300 300 2240

Bardoc (Out of hours GP) - 0161 763 4242

HMR Stroke Association - 01706 657 269

Stroke Association website - www.stroke.org.uk

Northern Care Alliance NHS Trust Hospital Switchboard - 0161 624 0420

Samaritans – 116 123

Talking Therapies – 01706 619020

Mind (Rochdale & District) - 01706 752338

Call 999 in an emergency, including suspected stroke

Complaints 

If you have any concerns, please contact us.

Your care will not be affected by voicing any concerns, we are keen to immediately resolve any issues you may be having to improve your experience.

Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale Community Stroke Team - 01706 517772. Office hours: 8am - 4pm Monday to Friday.

Please leave a voice message with your name, number and query and we will get back to you.

HMR Community Hub
Rochdale Infirmary, Whitehall Street, OL12 0NB

If you or a member of your household is unwell with any symptoms of an infectious illness (such as COVID-19), please contact the team prior to a visit.

Some of the information used in this leaflet has been reproduced with the kind permission of the © Stroke Association.

Sentinel Stroke National Audit Programme (SSNAP)

Why are you collecting my information?

SSNAP is a national project by King’s College London and funded by the Healthcare Quality Improvement Partnership. They collect data from your hospital admission up to 6 months post stroke, regarding the treatment you have received.

Why do we also need to collect confidential details from you?

The information collected can be used to decide where improvements need to be made in hospitals and community stroke services helping to improve the quality of care.

What confidential information is collected from you?

Name, date of birth, postcode, and NHS number.

How will this information be kept safe?

It is kept confidential, and rules are followed to protect your data. The information is entered onto a secure database which can only be accessed by approved staff at relevant healthcare organisations. Approved staff must have a personalised password and they must agree to Terms and Conditions protecting your information.

Why haven’t the hospital staff asked for my permission to use my information?

It is difficult to ask all patients for their permission just after they have had a stroke. It can be a distressing time for patients and would not always be appropriate. Some patients also find it hard to communicate following a stroke or don’t have relatives present.

Can I refuse to give my information?  

Yes. Just tell the person or team that gave you this leaflet or contact the SSNAP team. Your personal information will then be removed, and you can do this at any time.

For further details about how your data will be processed visit: https://www.strokeaudit.org/Patient-information/What-is- SSNAP.aspx

Any questions contact the SSNAP team:

• Email: ssnap@kcl.ac.uk
• Phone: 0116 464 9901
• Website: www.strokeaudit.org