Useful resources

Here are details of some useful websites, organisations and books. If you come across any other resources that you have found very useful, please email us as we would like to expand this section.

To read some of these links (ending in .pdf), you will need Adobe Acrobat Reader. If you don't have it, you can download it from the Adobe site.

Website links

Chest, Heart and Stroke Scotland have produced an excellent free 44 page booklet entitled Stroke: A Guide to Your Rehabilitation and the information in it is relevant to everyone in the UK.

It looks at what rehabilitation is, the role of the different professionals in the rehabilitation team and rehabilitation plans. It also examines the different specialities involved in rehabilitation ie. physiotherapy, occupational therapy, and speech and language therapy.

Among their other publications, which are both available online, are Reducing the Risk of Stroke and Stroke: A Carer's Guide.

The BBC Health website has a Stroke Guide with a 'Treatment and Rehab' section and a list of useful organisations.

Carers UK provides information and resources for carers, and campaigns on their behalf.

The Royal College of Physicians have published National Clinical Guidelines for Stroke which gives information on the management of strokes and rehabilitation. While the guidelines are designed for health professionals, people who have had strokes and their carers may also find them useful.

Organisations

The Stroke Association funds research into the prevention, treatment and rehabilitation of strokes. It also has 400 local Stroke Clubs affiliated to it. It has a range of publications about strokes, details of which can be found here.

Different Strokes is a charity providing free services to younger stroke survivors throughout the United Kingdom.

Chest, Heart and Stroke Scotland aims to improve the quality of life for people in Scotland affected by chest, heart and stroke illness through medical research, advice and information, and support in the community. It provides other publications in addition to the ones mentioned above, which are relevant for people outside Scotland and which are available online.

The Disabled Living Foundation is a national charity which provides information about the equipment available for disabled people. Amongst other activities, it runs a telephone helpline and produces factsheets.

Books

Below are a few books that look at different aspects of stroke and related areas. As we have said above, please email us if you've read any useful books that are not mentioned here. The titles are linked to the amazon.co.uk website.

My Year Off: Rediscovering Life After a Stroke by Robert McCrum (Picador). This is a moving account of the effects of a stroke and the experiences of stroke rehabilitation.

After Stroke by David Hinds (HarperCollins). David Hinds, who recovered from 2 major strokes, has produced a step-by-step recovery programme based on his 19 years as a stress management consultant.

The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat by Oliver Sacks (Picador). Oliver Sacks is a consultant neurologist who writes fascinating stories about some of his patients and how neurological problems have affected their lives.

The Brain by Susan Greenfield (Phoenix). This is an excellent introduction to the brain and how it works by an eminent neuroscientist.

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