Health & Fitness
Blog: Local Resources for Stroke Survivors
Peninsula Stoke Association is a great local resource for stroke survivors, their families, and the community.
Stroke is the third leading cause of death and it is the leading cause of adult disability in the United States.
Here in Palo Alto, the Peninsula Stoke Association (PSA) is a great local resource for stroke survivors, family caregivers, clinicians, and those working with people with brain injuries.
Starting in February 2012, they are hosting a quarterly educational series on stroke at the Palo Alto Veterans Hospital. This program is open to stroke survivors, their families, and professionals and community members interested in stroke. The location, time and other details are online. They’re also on Facebook, where you can get the most updated information on programs that are open to the public.
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PSA produces a Resource Directory with contact information that can quickly guide stroke survivors to programs and services to meet your needs. If you’d prefer a free paper copy to the online version, contact the PSA office at support@psastroke.org or at 650-565-8485.
The PSA also hosts an Ability Resource Fair every year in the fall.
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Learning about this medical condition is easy with easy to access to plentiful information. The National Stroke Association has lots of great resources online, for people recovering from a stroke as well as their family and caregivers.
What to do if someone is having a stroke
There are treatments that can halt or reverse the damage caused by an acute stroke, but they only work if they are administered in the short time window after symptoms first appear. To help a possible stroke victim, remember the word FAST: face, arms, speech and time.
- Face: Does one side of the person’s face drop when you ask him or her to smile?
- Arms: Ask the person to raise both arms. Does one arm drift downward?
- Speech: Have the person try to repeat a simple sentence. Are the words slurred or incorrect?
- Time: If you suspect that someone has had a stroke, call 911 to get the person to the emergency room right away where a team of specialists can evaluate him or her. The time you save may greatly improve the outcome of the stroke.
