Veterans Memorial Hospital Speech-Language Pathologist, Steven Mazzafield, offers a Stroke Support Group for individuals who have experienced a stroke, as well as caregivers and family members affected by stroke.
Monthly meetings are held the first Thursday of every month at 2pm at Veterans Memorial Hospital in the Large Conference Room.
The Stroke Support Group provides opportunities to share tips, tricks, or trials among participants, offer support for caregivers, and provide an opportunity for socialization.
While strokes can happen at any age, risk of stroke is greatest as we get older with the majority of strokes occurring after the age of 70. Risk factors for stroke include obesity, sedentary lifestyle, binge drinking, diabetes, smoking, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure.
It is important to know the signs of a stroke. “BE FAST” is a handy acronym to help you remember the following:
Balance – do they have difficulty with balance
Eyes – sudden loss of vision in one or both eyes
Face – look for any facial drooping or unevenness
Arm – can the person raise both arms for 10 seconds
Speech – is their speech slurred or not making sense
Time – time is of the essence if you suspect someone is having a stroke. That’s because there is a narrow window of time when a special clot-busting medication called TPA may be given to break up the blockage causing the stroke.
Depending on location and size, strokes can have different effects on the brain and body and no one person will have exactly the same experience.
If you, or someone you know, is currently experiencing hardship due to a new or ongoing stroke and feel speech therapy would be beneficial, please contact Steven Mazzafield, Speech Language Pathologist, at Veterans Memorial Hospital at 563-568-3411.
