Stroke Survivor and Caregiver Stroke Support Group

The Stroke Survivor and Caregiver Stroke Support Group is the first group of its kind in Perry County to offer support for stroke survivors and caregivers. It was established in 2015 as part of the Kentucky Care Coordination for Community Transition (KC³T) program and is registered with the National Stroke Association. The stroke support group’s service area includes Perry, Letcher, Leslie, Breathitt, and Knott Counties. The group is very active in the community conducting educational campaigns, providing stroke risk screenings, creating public service announcements, and many other activities.

In 2018, the support group succeeded in getting the month of May declared as Stroke Awareness Month in Perry County and the city of Hazard with Perry County Judge Executive, Scott Alexander, and Hazard Mayor, Jimmy Lindon, signing the first Stroke Awareness Month proclamation. In addition, the support group has received a community service award from the UK HealthCare/Norton HealthCare - Stroke Care Network and has been nominated for two National Stroke Association RAISE awards – Outstanding Support Group and Voter’s Choice.

Meetings

Hazard Stroke Survivor and Caregiver stroke support meetings are hosted each month at the UK Center of Excellence in Rural Health. Each month guest speakers share practical information such as modified exercises to stay active, nutrition and recipes, preventing recurrent strokes, medication management and more. Members motivate each other and share ideas on how to approach the challenges in their daily lives during stroke recovery. Meetings are open to stroke survivors, caregivers, and community members.

For more information about the stroke support group, please contact:

Keisha Hudson
KC³T Coordinator/Research Assistant
UK Center of Excellence in Rural Health
(606) 439-3557
keisha.hudson@uky.edu