Information Videos
Links to useful information videos on Stroke
We run monthly information sessions with our partners at Stroke HIT (Health Integration Team).
These sessions are on a range of topics that our clients have told us they would find useful. They are held on Zoom on the last Thursday of the month.
To sign up to get regular invites or to request a topic , contact us on [email protected]
Visual Changes following stroke
In this months session we had Specialist Occupational Therapist Nicki Derrick lead our session on why vision can change after a stroke.
In this session we covered:
* How a disruption in the visual pathway after a stroke can cause a vision issue
* What the most common visual issues after stroke are.
* What therapy & support is available to maximise independence, safety and well-being
Nikki focused on 2 of the most common visual issues- visual field loss (more specifically, hemianopia) and double vision (diplopia).
Click below to watch again
Thinking skills following a stroke
November 2024
This month’s session we talked about thinking skills (cognition) following a stroke.
Dr Amy Zarandi is a Clinical Psychologist working in a Stroke Neuropsychology talked about different aspects of cognition (thinking skills) and cognitive changes that can occur following a stroke.
We covered factors that can contribute to cognitive difficulties and how different thinking skills influence each other, for example, how attention and concentration can impact memory, sharing general strategies that can support individuals with cognitive difficulties.
Click below to watch this session.
The impact of incontinence following a stroke
October 2024
This month we had Nikki Cotterill, Professor of Nursing in Continence Care, UWE, Bladder and Bowel Confidence Health Integration Team BABCON HIT Director, Bristol Health Partners join us.
Nikki talked about the sensitive area of the impact of bladder or bowel leakage (incontinence) which can occur following a stroke.
We talked Understanding bladder and bowel leakage following stroke, the Impact of bladder and bowel leakage and What might help to improve leakage and how to manage symptoms
Click the link to watch again:
Healthy Eating post Stroke
September 2024
In this months session we had Ruth Hancock, Senior Specialist Dietitian, Diabetes and Nutrition Service (DANS), from Sirona Care & Health join us to talk about Healthy eating post stroke
We had a overview of recommendations for a healthy diet, understanding a cardioprotective diet, and thinking about how to successfully make changes to your diet to improve your health and reduce your health risks.
Click below to watch this session.
Impact of Relationships following Stroke
June 2024
This month we had Stephanie Davis, Clinical Psychologist from the Stroke Psychology Service at Southmead Hospital join us to talk about the Impact of Relationships following stroke.
Steph talked about the sensitive area of the impact on personal relationships following a stroke:
* Impact on the family system e.g. change of roles and relational dynamics
* Impact on friendships
* Impact on intimate relationships
Click the link to watch again.
Managing High Muscle tone and spasticity
23rd April 2024
This months session we talked about understanding and managing high muscle tone and spasticity in Stroke”.
Rob Jones Stroke Specialist Physio and Team Lead and Madeline Redfern Physiotherapist South Bristol Community Hospital talked about this important issue and we had questions at the end.
Lyra Festival
28th March 2024
This Stroke HIT session is part of the Bristol LYRA - Bristol Poetry Festival. We talked about aphasia, the workshops we have run funded by the Festival and how the creative arts can help with post-stroke recovery. Our group members performed the poetry and art that have created from the workshops.
Aphasia is a communication disability which affects someone’s ability to speak, write, read or understand. About a third of all people who have a stroke will be affected by aphasia.
Lyra is Bristol’s annual poetry festival. Lyra brings together local, national and international poets and speakers representing Bristol as a centre of world class poetry.
Their aim is to showcase poetry in the widest range of forms possible, we are so proud to be part of this festival and helping demonstrate how powerful the creative process can be in supporting people to express themselves after stroke related Aphasia.
This work is being led by Hazel Hammond a poet, stroke affected person and someone who lives with aphasia you can read about her fascinating recovery story here: Hazels Story
Life After Stroke - Benefits of work following a stroke
February 2024
This month’s session we talked about the benefits of work following a stroke.
Emma Taylor, occupational therapist, discussed the benefits of work following a stroke, and how even early rehabilitation can support your vocational goals.
She also talked about some things that should be considered when planning a return to work to maximise success.
Life After Stroke - Welfare Benefits following a stroke.
25th January 2024
Luke Albarran, Welfare benefits team leader from North Bristol Advice Centre provided an overview of Welfare Benefits for people (following a stroke) who are both in and out of work.
The session covered common pitfalls when filling in forms and where to seek further advice.
Robotics and Neurotechnology in stroke rehabilitation
November 2023
Ali Gomes da Silva, Lead Physiotherapist, Bristol Intensive Neurotherapy Centre, Hobbs Rehabilitation gave an overview of the role of robotics and neurotechnology in stroke rehabilitation.
Ali talked about the background as to why we might use neurotechnology within rehab to increase intensity, looking at the different types of robots and their benefits, and at what the research says to support this approach to treatment.
We also had a short case study showing how technology helped one stroke patient achieve his goals.
The emotional and psychological changes after stroke.
October 2023
After stroke, people often have emotional changes such as lower mood, increased anxiety, increased frustration, reduced motivation. There are many reasons these emotional changes occur and many different ways to help manage them.
Dr Pippa Hodson is an NHS Clinical Psychologist in Neuropsychology who works with people who have had strokes to support them with emotional adjustment after stroke. She spoke to us about the role of biological, psychological, cognitive and social factors that can impact the emotional wellbeing of stroke survivors.
She also touched base on self-support strategies as well as how to access professional help and support.
Improving sleep after Stroke
September 2023
In this month session we talked about Improving Sleep in Rehabilitation After Stroke.
Dr Matthew Weightman, Post-doctoral Researcher, and Barbara Robinson, Research Assistant from the Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging (WIN) in Oxford, joined us to speak about the role of sleep in recovery and what research already tells us and a new study they are undertaking that stroke affected people can get involved with.
Understanding brain plasticity in rehabilitation
July 2023
“Brain Plasticity” is a vital part of stroke recovery and rehabilitation, but what is it, and can we do anything to harness it and improve recovery after stroke?
In this session, Phil Clatworthy, stroke consultant and researcher, will discuss brain plasticity, explaining what it is and how it is important for everyday learning as well as recovery from stroke.
He will describe how understanding brain plasticity can practically help rehabilitation and recovery from stroke.
Upper Limb Rehabilitation
June 2023
Approximately 70% of people experience loss of arm function after a stroke, and this persists for about 40%.
Recovery of the arm is varied from person to person and is largely dependent on the initial degree of weakness and severity of stroke. This session explores the clinical guidelines for stroke and some of the research relating to upper limb rehab at different stages of recovery.
The session is led by Laura Smith, Senior Physiotherapist, South Bristol Rehabilitation Unit.
The links referred to in the presentation are: Sensation Rehab Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mKkoWCacbgQ
NICE Guidelines 2023:
https://www.strokeguideline.org/chapter/motor-recovery-and-physical-effects-of-stroke/#301
Sex & Relationships
May 2023
There are many changes that happen after stroke. Relationships and intimacy are an often-overlooked topic when recovering from stroke.
This online session explores some of the research relating to relationships, sex, and intimacy after stroke.
Presenter: Claire Fullbrook-Scanlon, Senior Lecturer, UWE Bristol, Senior Nurse Clinical Academic RUH Bath NHS Foundation Trust and Stroke HIT Education Workstream Lead
Centre for Sustainable Energy
April 2023
This month we had the charity Centre for Sustainable Energy (CSE) join us to talk about to tackle the climate emergency and end the suffering caused by cold homes.
In this session Zora Paschke Senior Project Worker from CSE talked about energy advice.
One of CSE’s key roles is to help local households understand their energy use, improve the energy performance of their homes, and develop more sustainable behaviours.
They currently offer free energy advice services for the West of England and Somerset area, with targeted additional support for more vulnerable Households.
They also help people find suitable insulation schemes and any grants available to upgrade their homes, in partnership with local authorities, contractors and energy suppliers.
Stroke & Diabetes
March 2023
We had a Diabetes Nurse and a Dietician from Sirona join us , along with a Peer mentor coordinator from the Diabetes Mentoring scheme at Brigstowe Project to discuss:
- What is Diabetes
- How it affects us
- What lifestyle choices we can make to improve how we live with diabetes
We also talked about about a pioneering scheme that supports people who have been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes across Bristol, South Glos and North Somerset
Evolv Rehabilitation Technology
February 2023
In this session we will talked about a local feasibility study using a virtual therapy system called EvolvRehab, as part of Early Supported Discharge rehabilitation services provided by different NHS sites to stroke survivors at home.
An important element of the project is meeting with stroke survivors and their carers to present EvolvRehab in order to get feedback that will help shape the solution to successfully meet their needs.
EvolvRehab is developed for stroke survivors to improve quality of movement through exergaming. It provides home-based rehabilitation services helping to reduce the pressure on NHS resources and to those in rural or remote areas. It hardware connected to a TV to provide repetitive, engaging, virtual reality-based exercises. It is currently being tested with stroke survivors and researchers from the University of Exeter in collaboration with different NHS sites and charities across the UK.
Stroke Transformation Service
January 2023
Stroke services within Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire are being transformed so that everyone within the area has the best opportunity to survive and thrive after stroke.
In this session, Catherine Rowe, Stroke Implementation Programme Manager, talks about what the future will look like for stroke, and the steps we are taking to realise the vision.
Life After Stroke - Stroke Carers
December 2022
In this session we will look at carers rights and support for Carers.
The session will be led by Jan Mussi, Senior Carers Support Officer
Jan has worked at Carers Support Centre for 22 years, providing one-to-one support, advice and advocacy to adult carers across Bristol and South Gloucestershire. The charity provides a wide range of free services for carers and works strategically to raise the profile of carers and to improve the support and services that carers receive.
Jan talked about Carers rights and we had a question and answer session around support available to carers.
Stroke & Common Medications
November 2022
In this session we will looked at Stroke and common medications.
The session was be led by Claire Fullbrook-Scanlon, Senior Nurse Clinical Academic from the RUH & Senior lecturer with UWE.
Clare shared information about medications, and we talked about:
- Why we take them
- What they do
- How they can effect us.
Claire also talked about lifestyle choices that can keep us well. Click on the link below to watch this months session.
World Stroke Day - Stroke Survivors stories
October 2022
This months session was around World Stroke Day and was a session on Stroke survivors talking about their story.
Jenny, Hazel & Dominique all share their experience of having a stroke and their recovery journey, and answer questions from other people who have had strokes and health & social care professionals.
Guests were also able share some of their experiences.
Blood Pressure Treatment & Management
October 2022
In this session we talked about Blood Pressure Management and Treatment and the session was run by Dr Chinedu Nkole from the Stroke Neurology Team, North Bristol NHS Trust.
During this session we covered:
1. What is Blood pressure
2. Why does it matter
3.What can be done to reduce or manage Blood pressure
Power of Attorney
September 2022
In this session Jacqui Lazare Senior Associate at Claire Willmott Solicitors talks about Power of Attorney.
A power of attorney is a legal document that allows someone to make decisions for you, or act on your behalf, if you're no longer able to or if you no longer want to make your own decisions. Jacqui talks though what’s involved and why it is so important.
We also discuss what happens if you don’t have a power of attorney and some of the complications this can cause.
Driving after Stroke
May 2022
The session covers the practicalities of returning to driving after a stroke:
- Visual impairment.
- When you can drive after having a stroke Who needs to approve your driving again
- When/if you need to contact the DVLA about your stroke
- What you should do about contacting your insurance
- What adaptations may be available for your car and motability scheme.
Dr Lauren Hepworth, Post-doctoral Orthoptic Research Fellow, Liverpool University
Eddie Ruskin, Bristol After Stroke
Healthy Eating & Stroke - Sue Baic
January 2022
Sue Baic is a Registered Dietitian who has worked with Bristol After Stroke on our Next Steps programme. In this video, Sue talks about Healthy Eating and Stroke offering helpful guidance and advice.
In this video Sue talks about:
- Healthy Eating & how might it help with life after stroke
- What to do if you want to lose some weight
- What to do if you have poor appetite or have lost too much weight
- A quick word about swallowing difficulties
Click the link below to watch the video.
