As part of the Stroke Foundation’s Week of Action starting September 26, survivors of stroke and advocates will meet with their Victorian November state election candidates to call for action and long-term commitment in stroke advocacy and recovery support.
The foundation said it had been a decade since a Victorian government allocated money to the organisation support programs to prevent, treat and beat stroke.
Stroke Foundation chief executive Sharon McGowan said it was time for the government to provide greater financial support, given that 75 per cent of the organisation’s income in 2021 came from donations and bequests, mostly from survivors and their families.
“We have a wonderful community that, for so long, has done the heavy lifting when it comes to supporting Stroke Foundation and the important work we do,” Ms McGowan said.
“It’s time that the next state government shares the load and invests in initiatives to increase awareness of stroke and provide support to enable survivors to recover well across Victoria.”
The foundation is calling on all candidates to commit to two evidence-based, focused programs that we know will deliver results.
In a statement, the foundation said it was calling for an investment of $10 million over 10 years for its F.A.S.T signs of stroke education program, as well as $3 million over the same period for StrokeConnect Naviagtor Program, to bring together the foundation’s existing StrokeLine service and a new post-hospital outreach service.
“In Victoria, 26 per cent of people who have a stroke currently leave hospital without a discharge plan, leaving them to find their own way through their recovery,” the foundation said in a statement.
“This gap means their recovery takes longer, and puts them at high risk of more strokes, and an ongoing reliance on Victoria’s already stretched health and disability support services.”
Ms McGowan said it was time to commit to funding these programs, to introduce a new legacy of care for future Victorians, including those in Sunbury and the Macedon Ranges.
“Investing in Stroke Foundation’s work now will create that legacy in stroke prevention, treatment, and recovery, unlike that ever seen before in Victoria. It will maximise the significant investment the State Government has already made in delivering world-class acute stroke treatment,” she said.
“That has taken a lot of work and many previous Victorian governments can be proud of that.
“But we now need critical new investment in education so more people will recognise stroke when it happens, will act fast and access that hospital care.
“And at the other end of the stroke journey, we need to introduce a safety net so when they leave hospital, they have the very best chance at recovery.”
