Going back to work after a stroke is an important goal for many- but may seem impossible. Yet, despite impairments, a return to professional work is possible. This session provides practical help on doing this.
Fatigue after stroke is common and debilitating. Yet despite much research on the topic, there are many unanswered questions about fatigue and how best to manage it. Stroke survivors often report that clinicians do not talk to them about fatigue- and some only learn much later that it is a symptom of stroke. This session will provide an overview of the topic and the important issues for both clinicians and stroke survivors
We know that it is important that stroke survivors are active. This session will include a summary of the evidence base for physical activity, how therapists support stroke survivors to get and stay physically active, and a stroke survivor sharing their tips and experiences. We hope that the session will help to bust some common myths about physical activity and stroke, including that it’s not all about sweat and lycra!
Avril Drummond is Professor of Healthcare Research, and an occupational therapist, at the University of Nottingham, UK. Her main area of interest is stroke rehabilitation and she has undertaken large trials, studies and service evaluations.
She is a member of the Royal College of Physicians' Intercollegiate Working party for stroke, which produces the UK Stroke Clinical Guidelines. She is a former Chair of the UK Stroke Forum, she chaired the 'Life after stroke' domain for the Action Plan for Stroke in Europe and is a trustee of the UK Stroke Association.
Scott Ballard-Ridley
Scott Ballard-Ridley suffered a stroke in 2007 at the age of 22 which left him with significant physical impairments and without the use of his vision.
Prior to his stroke, Scott trained as a physiotherapist and since then he has worked in the NHS, for the Stroke Association and currently for social enterprise, Bridges Self-management, where he works with healthcare professionals on how they can work more collaboratively with patients in their care. Scott lives at home with his wife and three-year-old daughter.
Fiona Jones MBE
Fiona Jones MBE is Professor of Rehabilitation Research at St George’s University of London and Kingston University. She has led multiple studies to evaluate self-management approaches within healthcare teams including in stroke, acute brain injury and major trauma.
In 2013, Fiona set up a social enterprise Bridges Self-management, which is an approach to self-management co-delivered with people living with complex long-term conditions and used by more than 500 acute and community rehabilitation teams across the UK. In 2014, Fiona led an NIHR funded study to evaluate the use of Experience–Based Co-Design to explore ways to increase therapeutic activity in stroke units, and is currently Co-lead for the Listen project (Long Covid Personalised Self-managemenT support- co-design and EvaluatioN). In 2017 Fiona was awarded an MBE for services to stroke rehabilitation.
Listen to Fiona give an overview of the self-management plenary session:
Hanne Pallesen
Hanne Pallesen is a senior researcher and associated professor at the Hammel Neurocentre and University of Aarhus.
Hanne’s research interests include: remaking the body, disability, self-efficacy, self-management, self-identity and nature-based rehabilitation research, patient perspectives, interdisciplinary and cross-sectoral recovery after brain injury. She is a MSc and PhD supervisor, teacher and responsible for a Neurorehabilitation course at the Master Degree programme in Health Science, Aarhus University.
Listen to Hanne give an overview of the self-management plenary session:
Dr Lisa Kidd
Dr Lisa Kidd is Reader in Supported Self-Management in the School of Medicine, Dentistry and Nursing, University of Glasgow
Lisa's research interests include self-management, stroke, person-centred care, implementation science and patient and public engagement with research. Specifically, Lisa leads a programme of research focussing on the implementation of self-management support in stroke service provision, particularly how practitioners implement and embed self-management support, that is driven by people’s needs, experiences and priorities, in their practice and service provision.
Lisa inputs into the roll out of supported self-management as part of Scotland's Stroke Improvement Plan. She leads the Supported Stroke Self-Management Network, a network of practitioners, academics, policymakers with an interest in shaping stroke self-management research and practice, run in collaboration with Kingston/St George’s University, University of Southampton and Glasgow Caledonian University.
Listen to Lisa give an overview of the self-management plenary session:
Jean-Marie Annoni
Jean-Marie Annoni studied medicine in Geneva and specialised in neurology, behavioural neurology and neurosciences at hospitals in Zurich, Geneva, in the cantons of Valais and St. Gallen, London and Montreal.
Jean-Marie worked as a neurologist at the Geneva and Lausanne hospitals and is Professor of Neurology at the University of Friborg and a neurologist at the Friborg hospital, looking after neurological problems, and more specifically, memory and language problems, degenerative diseases and headaches.
For 20 years, his research has focused on the consequences of stroke, relearning after stroke and the cerebral organisation of language, particularly in bilingualism.
Alexia Kountouri
Alexia Kountouri had a stroke in May 2015 whilst she was studying for a PhD in the UK. Her right side was paralysed and she had to give up her studies.
She has had to learn how to adapt, cope and solve problems caused by her disability. She is now a social worker in Nicosia Municipality Multifunction Foundation, enabling vulnerable and marginalised people in Nicosia to become active and integrated into society. Alexia is also an Ambassador for stroke in Cyprus.
Jürg R Schwyter
Jürg R Schwyter was Head of the English Department and Professor of English Linguistics at the University of Lausanne when he suffered a severe brain stroke. Numerous therapies later, he successfully re-integrated into professional life and taught at the University before retiring in 2020 to the post of Research Fellow.
As a linguist, his research interests now focus on aspects of language and the brain. He has a keen interest in aphasia, and the interrelationship of multilingualism and strokes. As a stroke survivor and aphasiac, he wants to inform the stroke community and the wider public about the impact of stroke on language, communication and multilingualism.
Mina Michalatou
Mina Michalatou is a member of the stroke support organisation, Hellenic Alliance for Stroke. She is a passionate archaeologist and in recent years she has been working as a teacher of Greek Language and/or Greek as a Second/Foreign language to children.
After her stroke, Mina’s goal became to positively impact the lives of young people by raising awareness about stroke. She is involved in the FAST HEROES 112 campaign of the Department of Educational and Social Policy of the University of Macedonia and member of the European Network Schools for Health in Europe Network Foundation.
Nuno Ferreira
Dr Nuno Ferreira is a Professor of Clinical Health Psychology at the University of Nicosia and has a PhD in Clinical and Health Psychology from the University of Edinburgh. He has published extensively in the areas of General Mental Health Disorders and Psychological Adjustment to Chronic Illness.
Nuno is interested in the use and development of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) for long-term or chronic health conditions. He is also interested in the study of the impact of values, acceptance/ avoidance, cognitive fusion and mindfulness on psychosocial and physical outcomes.
