Communities in Action
A STROKE. NOW WHAT?
Y
ou or your spouse or partner have suffered a stroke. Likely there has been a hospitalization and probably in-patient rehabilitation, depending on the stroke’s severity. Survivors probably had or are having some out-patient physi-
cal, occupational or speech therapy. Eventually, though, those therapies will come to an end. What’s next? Unfortunately, continuing post-stroke care may break down when therapy ends. That’s
the reason for the Stroke Recovery Foundation. According to founder Bob Mandell, “We are stroke survivors, so we walk the walk every
day. We know from personal experience that your recovery is not over and to never give up!” The non-profit 501(c)(3) foundation’s mission is to improve post-stroke outcomes and
lifestyles of survivors and, very importantly, for their caregiver partners. And by the way, it’s not just Grandpa who has strokes. Fully 10% of strokes occur in people under 50 years of age — between 80,000 and 90,000 strokes per year in America. Children of all ages suffer strokes as well, mainly caused by body malformations and sports injuries. Locally, in Lee and Collier Counties, there were more than 1,700 stroke hospitalizations in 2014. Not well advertised is that stroke is a women’s issue. More women than men suffer
strokes, more women than men become stroke caregivers and, perhaps a surprise, twice as many women die from stroke as from breast cancer. So, you may ask, how is the foundation implementing its mission in southwest Florida? • First, it is educating with community talks about stroke, the risk factors and the signs of a stroke.
• Second, it is creating an educational initiative that focuses on the various aspects of living with stroke and how to have a good “new life.” (That project is a work in progress, so to keep informed, please sign up for the newsleter updates on the redesigned web- site at
www.StrokeRecoveryFoundation.org.)
"I AM A STROKE SURVIVOR and recently moved to Naples from DC. I luckily found the Stroke Recovery Foundation, the only non-profit focused on stroke in southwest Florida. Bob, the founder, has been very helpful. I learned a few new rehab things, and he also made a few referrals that were very useful, especially since I’m new to the area. Having someone who has been through it is extremely helpful. Bob is passionate about helping other survivors and spreading the word about stroke. The foundation is implementing new programs dedicated to this audience. I am volunteering and find it very rewarding. We need help, though, through sponsors and donations." -Allison, Stroke Survivor/Author
“We are stroke survivors, so we walk the walk
every day. We know from personal experience that your recovery is not over and to never give up!” -Bob Mandell
• Finally, it is offering stroke navigation and coaching services to southwest Florida. When the founder suffered his stroke more than 20 years ago, he had a lot of therapy — more than two years of various therapies 4 to 5 hours per day. His therapists informally coached him and helped to locate resources to help him succeed. Understanding the obvious benefits, the foundation is providing stroke recovery resource assistance and stroke coaching to help survivors create their recovery roadmap. Stroke is an underserved disease that is both complex and dis-
Bob Mandell
abling. Join us in our journey to beter stroke recoveries! If you would like to volunteer, are a survivor with your own story to share or are otherwise interested in becoming involved, please contact us in Naples at
Bobm@StrokeRF.org.
March - JULY 2017 33
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