Rehabilitation practice that addresses and supports autonomy, social connection, risk taking, adaptation and hope among stroke survivors may help individuals regain personally valued activities post-stroke.
BackgroundInnovative and sustainable programs are required to support the well-being of stroke survivors. Peer support is a potentially low cost way to enhance well-being of recent stroke survivors and the well-being and community reintegration of their peer supporters. This article describes the perceptions of stroke survivors, care partners, peer supporters, and professionals of an individual peer support program.MethodsAn instrumental case study design was used to examine a volunteer peer support program that provides acute care visits and telephone follow-up post-discharge. In particular, a) type of support provided, b) benefits for the stroke survivor and care partner, c) potential harms to the stroke survivor, d) impact of providing support on the peer supporter, and e) required processes were considered. Semi-structured interviews were carried out with 16 new stroke survivors and 8 care partners immediately following hospital discharge and then 6 months later, and with 7 peer supporters, 3 program co-ordinators and 4 health professionals to gather feedback from multiple stakeholders.ResultsEmotional, affirmational and informational support were perceived as being offered by the peer supporters. Peer visits were perceived as providing encouragement, motivation, validation, and decreased feelings of being alone. However, the visits were not perceived as beneficial to all stroke survivors. The impact on the peer supporters included increased social connections, personal growth, enjoyment, and feelings of making a difference in the lives of others. Involvement of the healthcare team, peer supporter training and a skilled coordinator were crucial to the success this program.ConclusionsPeer support can potentially enhance service to stroke survivors and promote community reintegration for peer volunteers. Further research is needed to determine the preferred format and timing of peer support, and the characteristics of stroke survivors most likely to benefit.
Purpose: The purpose of this article is to examine access to and continuity of Frenchlanguage healthcare and social services in Ontario' s Champlain region through an analytical framework that incorporates people seeking care, their caregivers and the linguistic component of care into a health and social service system bounded by community, organizational, political and symbolic structures. Methods: Experiences of French-speaking seniors seeking care and those of health and social service providers and managers from two qualitative exploratory studies are used to describe trajectories through the system. Results: Participants exposed how, together with community vitality, issues within each of the system' s symbolic, political or regulatory and organizational structures influence these trajectories. Conclusions: To meet the needs of francophone seniors, additional work is needed to increase French-language services coordination within the organizational, regulatory and policy structures of the health and social service system. RésuméObjectifs : Examiner l' accès aux services sociaux et de santé en français, ainsi que leur continuité, dans la région de Champlain en Ontario, à l' aide d' un cadre d' analyse qui inclut la personne qui demande des services, ses proches aidants et la composante linguistique des services, dans un système de services sociaux et de santé encadré par des structures communautaire, organisationnelle, politique et règlementaire, et symbolique. Méthode : Les expériences de francophones ayant besoin de services, ainsi que celle de fournisseurs et de gestionnaires de services, tirées de deux études qualitatives exploratoires menées par notre équipe, sont utilisées pour décrire des trajectoires dans le système. Résultats : Les participants démontrent comment chacune des structures symbolique, politique et règlementaire, organisationnelle, et communautaire influence ces trajectoires. Conclusion : Pour répondre aux besoins des ainés francophones en situation minoritaire, la coordination des services sociaux et de santé offerts en français devrait être améliorée, tant au sein de la structure organisationnelle que de la structure politique et règlementaire.
Longitudinal analysis of survivors' participation in valued activities poststroke revealed a pattern of adaptation that relates to but goes beyond that suggested by global measures of health, functioning, and well-being. The focus on adaptation of personal projects or valued activities may provide a helpful way of examining and improving well-being poststroke and offer new insights to inform the development of effective interventions for improving well-being following stroke. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2013 APA, all rights reserved).
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