1st Edition
Understanding the Lived Experience of the Stroke Patient A Guide for Health Professionals
Introduction
Catherine Forward
1. What is stroke?
Ruth Trout, Claire Lynch, Catherine Lamb
2. Maintaining independence and staying safe
Fiona Chalk, Jennifer Huffadine, Lyndsey Shawe in collaboration with Oxford Stroke Patient Group
3. Communication
Claire Hartley, in collaboration with South Birmingham (BCU) Conversation Group
4. Keeping comfortable and keeping going: supporting and promoting wellbeing post-stroke
Rachel Hayden, Gill Hoad
5. Enjoying food and drink
Sarah Davies, Konstantinos Eleftheriadis
6. Managing and maintaining continence
Julia Williams, Fiona Chalk, Ruth Trout
7. Washing and dressing
Sarah Thirtle, Annette Palmer
8. Sleep, work and play
Zeliha Tulek, Hilalnur Kucukakgun
9. Mobilising and functional mobility
Lyndsey Shawe, Fiona Chalk
10. Relationships, intimacy and sexuality
Fiona Chalk, Ruth Trout, Julia Williams
11. Facing mortality and loss
Catherine Hamilton, Hannah Mosley
Biography
Catherine Forward is a Registered Adult Nurse and Specialist Community Public Health Nurse who has worked in nursing education for over a decade. She has a master’s in medical law and ethics and is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. Catherine has also supported a family member who had a stroke as a young adult.
Ruth Trout, with over 30 years of experience in the neurosciences specialty, Ruth has worked across neuroscience wards, intensive care and as an Advanced Nurse Practitioner. Ruth holds a BSc in Critical and Specialist Care (Neurosciences), an MSc in Advanced Practice, and a Postgraduate Certificate in Education. She has been a member of the Executive Board of the British Association of Neuroscience Nurses and remains an active contributor to both the European Association of Neuroscience Nurses and the World Federation of Neuroscience Nurses. Since 2010, Ruth has led the Stroke Care and Management module at Buckinghamshire New University, educating healthcare professionals from across the UK. Her professional expertise is complemented by her personal experience as the main carer for her grandmother, Molly, who experienced a mild ischaemic stroke in 2011, deepening her insight into patient and family perspectives in stroke care.
Jo Vincent is a Retired SEND teacher who worked in further education having studied BA (Hons) in Childhood Studies with a Certificate in Education with qualified teacher status (QTS). Jo has undertaken EbE work since 2022 and talks to a variety of students and healthcare professionals regarding her experiences as a stroke patient to inform and improve quality of care.
