The Saanich Peninsula Stroke Recovery Association is a non-profit organization comprised of professionals and volunteers who deal with stroke patients who have recovered enough to leave hospital and continue to work towards their recovery.
Meetings are held in the Seventh Day Adventist Church at 9300 Willindon Road in Sidney every Monday at 10:30 a.m (except in August). There is coffee and tea for everyone, and sometimes there is entertainment, music or a speaker from the University. The BC Transit handyDART supplies door-to-door transportation and is accessible for people of all abilities. There is a speech therapist available, and two physiotherapists who teach exercises depending on the individual needs of members.
Association volunteers visit local hospitals and talk to stroke victims and their caregivers; their whole life has changed dramatically and communicating with someone who has had this experience can be comforting. There is also a focus group, made up of caregivers, who bring up problems they are having. Usually someone in the group has had the same problem, and it helps to hear if a solution was found. There is a moderator and everyone in the group gets a chance to talk. Many of the volunteers have had their spouses pass away so they feel sharing their experiences may be of some help.
It is recommended that caregivers attend a meeting to see what the association does and meet the coordinator, Lyall Copeland, before the stroke victim leaves the hospital. Membership is $30 per year. Members enjoy a corn roast and Christmas party every year. Mixing socially with people who have suffered a stroke and their caregivers is very therapeutic for the strokers, especially when they see the results and how well some of them are doing.
For more information call 250-652-3016 or visit www.spstrokerecovery.org.
