Councillor Maura Hopkins calls for investment in stroke rehabilitation services
4th February 2016 - Susan Moss
Speaking in Roscommon town this week, general election candidate Cllr Maura Hopkins said that she welcomed the news that there has been a substantial reduction in the death rate of stroke patients, but stated that with an improving economy, investment is badly needed in specialist rehabilitation services for stroke patients.
“Having worked as an Occupational Therapist specifically with stroke patients for the past seven years, I have become deeply frustrated when many of our stroke patients have not been able to gain access to specialist rehabilitation in a timely manner. There is such potential for stroke patients to improve given the right access to services”.
An audit report of stroke services carried out by the HSE and Irish Heart Foundation published last Tuesday has found the death rate has dropped from 19% to 14% since the last audit was carried out in 2008. 8% of stroke patients are being discharged to nursing homes compared to 15% in 2008.
“If elected, I will work hard to ensure there is greater investment in our health services and I will campaign on this issue in particular, having experience in the area and knowing the dire need for more resources. Better rehabilitation services are vital for patients to reap the benefit of better survival rates. For patients under the age of 65, the situation is of even more concern-these patients find it almost impossible to access services as the only dedicated inpatient rehabilitation service is the National Rehabilitation Hospital in Dun Laoghaire. I have been campaigning for better access to rehabilitation services for many years.”
” The next government needs to invest in physiotherapists, occupational therapists and speech and language therapists and we need a government representative in Dáil Eireann who is familiar with these services in order to highlight this shortage and campaign for appropriate resources to be allocated. It is critical that we address these significant service deficits”.
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