LIVING WELL WITH STROKE CARE, FOR ALL OF LIFE

At Prestige Nursing & Care we believe that those needing care following a stroke should be able to live a fulfilled and healthy life with the right support in place, tailored to their individual needs.

As an established provider we have been supporting individuals who require after care following a stroke to have an improved quality of life in their own homes and communities for over 75 years. We have been trusted by families up and down the country to provide care for all of life, evolving the level and type of care we provide to meet changing needs.

YOUR HOME IS BEST FOR STROKE CARE

We know through our experience of supporting thousands of people and their families, that when faced with the prospect of needing long-term care and rehabilitation support following a stroke most people would prefer to stay in the safety, comfort and familiarity of their treasured home and not endure the disruption caused from a move away.

For many a move from home can cause much upset, worry and even confusion. Having routines imposed on how you live, leaving your loved one, and feeling isolated from family and friends or your local community are all common concerns experienced by those facing a move into a care home, specialist care setting or facing a prolonged stay in hospital.

After stroke care at home means that you can continue to live life your way, whilst benefitting from one-to-one care provided by a competent and compassionate carer, who will positively impact your rehabilitation and support reablement. They will focus on effectively managing your stroke care needs, so you can have an improved quality of life with enhanced well-being. Stroke home care enables you to remain independent and live your life with choice, whilst supporting you to successfully meet rehabilitation and reablement goals.

WHAT IS A STROKE?

A stroke occurs when the blood supply to part of the brain is cut off resulting in injury/damage to the brain itself and its ability to function. A stroke falls under the acquired brain injury umbrella and the impact and severity depend on which part of the brain is affected and to what degree. The brain requires oxygen to function properly. If the supply of blood is restricted or stopped brain cells begin to die and can lead to a permanent brain injury and/or disability.

There are two underlying causes of a stroke:

Ischaemic stroke

A blockage, caused by a blood clot, which cuts off the blood supply to the brain. This is the most common type of stroke accounting for 85% of all cases

Haemorrhagic stroke

Bleeding in and around the brain caused by a burst blood vessel.

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SYMPTOMS OF A STROKE

It is important to be aware of the signs that show someone is having a stroke, as the speed of response can dramatically affect the severity of the stroke and the person’s ability to recover.

These are the signs of a stroke:

  • Weakness or numbness on one side of the body, including legs, hands and feet that come on very suddenly
  • Difficulty with speech – finding words and finishing sentences
  • Blurred vision or loss of sight that comes on suddenly
  • Sudden memory loss
  • Sudden confusion
  • Dizziness with or without a fall
  • A sudden and severe headache

THE IMPACT OF A STROKE

Strokes are becoming increasingly common, with a stroke occurring every five minutes in the UK. They can happen at any age and the risks are increased for those who are older, have underlying health conditions like atrial fibrillation or high blood pressure, or for those who smoke or drink excessively.

The impact of a stroke will vary from person to person, for some the effects are very minor but for others they can spend a long time in hospital and be dependent on someone to care for them to support their rehabilitation once they are discharged.  Where the stroke takes place in the brain and the size of the damage, determine the effects on a person’s recovery.

Recovery from a stroke can be significantly improved with the right care and support in place.  Whilst many people may recover to full independence following a stroke, others may never recover and will require long-term care and support.

OUR APPROACH TO STROKE AFTERCARE AT HOME

At Prestige Nursing & Care we provide a care and support package that enables you to live a happy and fulfilled life in the safety and comfort of your own home.  The stroke care and support we provide will be guided by you and tailored to your needs, giving you choice over how you live your life and the support you want. Our focus is for you to have as much enjoyment in life and our carer will support you with an after care plan for stroke recovery that means you can enjoy activities and as much socialisation as you wish.

If you need home care after a stroke, our carers will assist you with goal-focused reablement care that enables you to relearn skills. This involves supporting a client’s intensive time-limited assessment and therapy to help a client gain as much independence as possible, reducing the need for a long-term care arrangement or readmission to hospital.

Carers will assist to minimise the problems associated with stroke recovery care and respond appropriately, including problems with swallowing (dysphagia), continence care, supporting any loss of sight and visual problems and will help to prevent further strokes by effectively managing medication and supporting a healthy diet and regular exercise.  We support outcome-based rehabilitation at home for those who need stroke care that supports an individual with mobility, physical exercise and mental health well-being.

We work collaboratively with our clients and their families to develop a thorough care and support plan that accurately reflects a person’s holistic needs.  We also adopt a partnership approach to working with local authority partners, NHS services, multidisciplinary teams, therapists and other community bodies involved in a person’s care.  This means we are well-informed so we can provide continuity of care ensuring the right care is in place at the right time, whilst responding efficiently to changing needs and complimenting and supplementing care provision when required.

COMPETENT AND COMPASSIONATE STROKE CARERS

When you choose Prestige Nursing & Care you can be reassured that the carer who cares for you or your loved one is expertly trained to provide the support you need, to the high standards you should expect.  All carers that join us complete our induction training programme, which goes above mandatory requirements.

We adopt a bespoke approach to training that ensures our carers have the knowledge, skills and aptitude to deliver high-quality home care that meets the needs of our clients.  If a client is living with a condition or is recovering from a stroke or needs post-operative care, we will ensure they have all the training and support they need to provide effective care.

We are very proud of our carers – each and every one of them is dedicated to providing compassionate, sensitive and dignified home care that means our clients live a fulfilled and meaningful life, with independence and choice, for all of life.

ADVICE FOR PREVENTING STROKES

While we cannot know when a stroke will happen, maintaining a healthy and balanced lifestyle can reduce the risk of a stroke occurring. If you have already had a stroke, these lifestyle changes can reduce your risk of having another stroke in the future.

  • Stop smoking
  • Cut down on alcohol
  • Manage underlying health conditions
  • Get regular physical activity
  • Keep a healthy weight
  • Work with your healthcare team
  • Reduce stress

A stroke does not have to stop you from doing the things you want to do. For more advice and guidance on how you can prevent strokes and maintain an active and healthy lifestyle, visit the Stroke Association.

Christopher

Enabling Christopher to move back home to recover from a stroke

Christopher spent time in hospital following a stroke, before being

Enabling Christopher to move back home to recover from a stroke

Christopher spent time in hospital following a stroke, before being discharged to a care home to rehabilitate.

He would not engage in care home life and just wanted to go back to his much-loved home. His partner, Jacquie contact Prestige Nursing & Care to put the right care and support in place so he could move home.

When we met Christopher in the nursing home he was struggling with his speech and could only manage one or two words, which made him angry and frustrated. Throughout our assessment and discussions with him, we asked closed questions regarding his preferences, so he could easily indicate yes or no and therefore be able to make the choices he wanted over his care package.

A team of two carers were selected to meet Christopher's needs in terms of his stroke rehabilitation, but also their suitability to share common interests with Christopher. A personalised care and support plan was developed closely with Christopher to ensure his wishes and preferences on all matters were captured, which built his self-esteem.

Christopher was delighted to move back to his own home and has made excellent progress since his return. The Prestige team has worked in partnership with Christopher and other healthcare professionals involved in his care to ensure everyone is well-informed about what Christopher needs and when. Being back at home has led to Christopher being engaged with his therapy sessions and he is now talking in full sentences, which has reduced his frustration. His physical health and overall well-being have dramatically improved since his return home.

WHAT DOES OUR CARE AT HOME SERVICE INCLUDE FOR THOSE WHO NEED AFTER STROKE CARE?

CLINICAL EXCELLENCE AT PRESTIGE NURSING & CARE

Clinical excellence is at the heart of our culture and approach to service delivery at Prestige Nursing & Care. Our nurse-led home care service is monitored and supported by our experienced regional nursing teams. Led by our Head of Clinical Services who has over 30 years of clinical experience, our team of qualified regional nurses are registered with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC). Each holds a registered nursing qualification in at least one nursing specialisation, including general adult nursing, learning and disability nursing, mental health nursing and children’s nursing. They enable the planning and delivery of safe and effective complex care to our clients, that is focused on ensuring the best possible care experience for our clients and their families.

Our nurses work in partnership with our care co-ordinators, carers, clients and families to identify specific care needs and plan the most appropriate care provision, whilst ensuring all our carers have the skills they need to deliver high standards of nurse-led care. They also provide families with on-going advice and continual support to ensure they feel reassured about the service we provide.

HOW WE PROVIDE CARE AT HOME FOR THOSE WHO NEED STROKE CARE

Our trusted and established care at home service can be provided in the following ways for someone recovering from a stroke:

  • Hourly care or visiting care, as it is sometimes referred is for those who need care and support with tasks of daily living or clinical care at certain times during the day. Care at home can be provided from a 30 minute visit, to as many hours/visits throughout the day you require, one day or several days of the week depending on your care and support needs. For those who have complex needs, hourly care can be provided over a 24-hour period.
  • Live-in care for when a permanent care arrangement is needed with greater levels of support around the clock to ensure a person can live well at home. Through our family of leading home care brands in the UK, we are able to offer award-winning, stroke live-in home care rated ‘Outstanding’ by The Care Quality Commission (CQC) from The Good Care Group.
  • Respite care for those needing a short-term arrangement after hospital discharge to rehabilitate or when a family carer needs a break from their caring role. It is also an ideal service for families who wish to assess whether care at home is the right care choice for them.

CARE MANAGEMENT LOCAL TO YOU

Our responsive and reliable stroke recovery care service local to you means we can put care and support in place quickly and in many cases within 24-hours.   Our local care expert will conduct a comprehensive assessment of your needs at home, in hospital or in any specialist care setting if you are awaiting discharge back to your own home enabling a plan of care and support to be developed that meets all your needs.

Our approach to care planning ensures we capture all your preferences and wishes so you can live a contented life in the comfort of your own home.  We take time to find the carer that would best meet your care and support needs, making sure they are closely aligned with how you wish to live your life. Once care is in place, our local teams made up of care and clinical experts provide you, your family and our carer with an abundance of on-going support, giving you peace of mind that you or your loved one is receiving the very best home care.

QUALITY ASSURANCE THROUGH REGULATED SERVICE PROVISION

Prestige Nursing & Care is not an agency. Unlike a home care agency we provide a fully managed and regulated care at home service, which means our clients, their families and our professional partners can be reassured that the care and support we provide those needing stroke care is of the very highest quality.

Our service is inspected by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in England and the Scottish Care Inspectorate (SCI) in Scotland.  We are proud that 96% of our inspected services have been rated as providing a ‘Good’ service, with 4% rated ‘Outstanding’ and all our services in Scotland have been awarded a five-star rating.

COST OF STROKE CARE

The cost of post-stroke home care is dependent on the level of care and support you require. If you are receiving our hourly stroke care the overall cost will be determined by the number of visits and frequency of visits to you at home. Our experts will conduct a comprehensive assessment of your needs at your home, or in hospital if you are awaiting discharge, to truly understand what you need and therefore how much stroke care at home will cost.

We know that our cost of stroke care is very competitive when compared with other home care providers.  It is worth noting that when comparing the cost of home care with a care package in a care home, that the fee you pay for home care is actually for the care and support you receive.  In a care home your weekly fee mainly covers your accommodation, food and social activities with the care package being only a small part of what you pay.You may be entitled to either social care funding or healthcare funding to contribute to the cost of after stroke care at home. There may also be other Government initiatives available and local authority support. If you are faced with having to finance your own home care (known as self-funding care), there are initiatives available to you, including care fees annuities or equity release schemes that could provide the funds you need for your care and support.

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RESPONSIVE LOCAL TEAMS WITH NATIONWIDE COVERAGE

We are providing care and support to those who have had a stroke in over 30 locations in the heart of communities across England and Scotland.  The fully managed service we provide is highly responsive and our experts local to you can put care packages in place quickly, working in collaboration with local healthcare professionals, multidisciplinary teams, therapeutic care providers and other community support services.  We know this holistic approach ensures our clients get the best out of life, for all of life.

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USEFUL RESOURCES

There are several organisations and charities in the UK that support those who need stroke care, including The Stroke Association UK, Headway and Think Ahead.

We are here to take your call and will provide impartial support and guidance – contact our friendly care experts today to discuss your stroke care and support needs.


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