YOUNG mild stroke patients will now have some take-home advice to help guide their recovery.
Ballarat Health Services’ acquired brain injury team have created a short documentary featuring young adults who share their journeys after experiencing a mild stroke.
Senior neurologists and rehabilitation consultants also detail what a person might be feeling in recovery and the recovery steps they could take.
ABI senior case manager Dawn Veale said the personalised stories and advice on what worked or what was helpful, aimed to have the greater impact. Importantly, their stories showed a patient they were not alone in the experience.
“A stroke destroys your confidence and for a young person, there is a lot of worry about when or how to start driving again, when to return to work or if they will have another stroke,” Ms Fraser said.
“There is not a lot of awareness about young people having a stroke because young people don’t usually want to be identified for having had a stroke. People think they are alone but need reassurance there is plenty of support here.”
One in three stroke survivors are working age, according to the documentary team.
Ms Veale said more serious stroke cases tended to spend an extended time in hospital and rehabilitaion programs compared to patients who had a mild stroke. The film was designed to be a guide for mild stroke patients and their families, particularly in a time of stress and shock when medical information could be overwhelming.
A key feature of the film was health promotion and prevention for a stroke, including diet, blood pressure and diabetes.
“Young people who have a mild stroke usually recover well,” Ms Veale said. “Initially there can be feelings of fatigue and difficulty concentrating...exercise and good diet can help graduate a return to a sense of normality.”
The documentary will launch in a special awareness exhibition for Brain Injury Awareness Week at the Queen Elizabeth Centre on August 16.
