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May 19, 2023
Recovery from a stroke does not end when you are discharged from the hospital. In fact, the journey can take months and may involve areas beyond medical issues, from mental health to returning to work. Because stroke recovery is complicated, Hartford Healthcare established the Stroke Survivor (SOS) Support Group, which meets on the first Wednesday of each month at the Colchester Senior Center. This group is free and open to everyone. “While there is always outpatient medical follow-up for stroke, it is also important to provide support for other questions and issues,” said Navdeep Leil, M.D., vascular neurologist and director of stroke medicine at Bacchus Hospital. says. “Meeting others, sharing information and learning is important.” The group is open to stroke survivors, their caregivers and families. Participants do not have to be patients of HHC physicians. This work will be facilitated by Maureen Hahn RN, BSN, Stroke Nurse Navigator, Hartford Healthcare Eastern Region. Dr. Lail said he worked with such groups during his residency, and that he wanted to introduce a similar program in eastern Connecticut. “This was very useful for everyone and was a great way to get a lot of information to a lot of people at once. Each stroke survivor has a unique recovery experience, and everyone can benefit from shared information, he said. Participants are encouraged to attend multiple sessions as their recovery will change as they progress. “And newcomers can always benefit from hearing from someone more experienced,” he says. “It’s very important for stroke survivors to be able to share their stories, their experiences, their struggles and their triumphs in an environment where they don’t have to worry about stroke damage,” Hahn said. The group has been meeting for a few months now and has already had a positive response, Dr. Lail says. The next group meeting is scheduled for: June 14th. July 5th. August 2. September 6th. October 4. Please call 860-207-0040 for more information.