Stroke Association urges stroke survivors in East Midlands to take part in national survey

The Daily Life Survey is launched on Wednesday 14th September and will run until 1st December 2011.

In the East Midlands, the Department of Health estimates that 9,700 people have a stroke every year, and more than 74 people will die from stroke every week.

Stroke is the third biggest killer and the leading cause of adult disability in the UK affecting around 150,000 people every year. There are around 1.1 million people in the UK who have suffered a stroke.

Sara Payne, who campaigns to eradicate the abuse of children through the ‘Sarah’s Law’ campaign, suffered a stroke in 2009. She now supports The Stroke Association by helping to raise the awareness of the needs of stroke survivors. She says: “By filling in the survey stroke survivors of today will be helping to shape better care for stroke survivors of the future.

“With the current financial squeeze and cuts to public services it is more important than ever for stroke survivors and their carers to get their voices heard and take part in the survey.”

The Daily Life Survey will help The Stroke Association understand how changes to public services like health, social care, benefits and housing are having an impact on the lives of people affected by stroke and their families.

Simon Cook, The Stroke Association’s Head of Operations in the East Midlands, says: “More people are surviving their stroke, this means that more of us are living with the effects of stroke in our daily lives. The Daily Life Survey will be an important tool in helping The Stroke Association to better understand the challenges stroke survivors face.”

A copy of the Daily Life Survey can be found at www.stroke.org.uk/dailylife

A stroke is a brain attack which occurs because of a clot or a bleed in the brain, causing brain cells to die. For further information about stroke or The Stroke Association, please contact the Stroke Information Service on 0303 30 33 100, or visit www.stroke.org.uk.