We offer up to 8 weeks of phone support to provide emotional and practical guidance tailored to a person’s individual recovery.
If someone has challenges with communication, our stroke coordinators will also try to work with the family or carer on the support calls to try to meet or advocate for the person’s needs.
Learn more about Stroke Connect Service here – https://irishheart.ie/support-for-you/stroke-connect-service/
Our Stroke Connect Service (SCS) is a weekly telephone support service for newly-discharged stroke patients and all stroke survivors who need practical and emotional support.
Learn MoreOnce someone is referred to Stroke Connect Service they can avail themselves of a short term online programme we run a few times a year called The Aphasia-Friendly Café .
The aim is to offer an intervention that gives people living with Aphasia and other communication challenges a friendly and supportive space to learn and practice evidence-based strategies to enhance communication skills.
There is also a peer support element to the group and people are encouraged to contribute to the discussion topics and share their lived experience.
We have a weekly online choir called The Rhythm of recovery and is open to anyone who is an Irish Heart Foundation service user but also anyone living with aphasia or other communication challenges are very welcome.
An evidence-based rehabilitation intervention for communication challenges, and we can arrange 1-1 sessions for Irish Heart Foundation service users.
Why is it helpful?
Music therapists use music to engage many different domains affected by strokes, targeting motor skills, communication/speech, mood, cognitive functioning and emotional release.
As music activates several parts of the brain at the same time, it can be an excellent way of engaging with people who have aphasia and communication issues following a stroke or brain injury.
Aphasia friendly cafe
We would also refer in members to a support offer by Dr Helen Kelly, who is a Senior Speech and Language Therapist Lecturer at University College Cork -Helen set up the Aphasia Home Café in May 2020.
The Café meets every fortnight on Zoom. Stroke survivors with aphasia can join the café by emailing Helen directly – helen.kelly@ucc.ie
All the information on these supports is available if you email support@irishheart.ie or call 01-6685001
2025-06-20
