Stroke survivors 'facing hardship'

A study commissioned by the Stroke Association found more than half of workers suffering a stroke are forced to cut their hours or give up work entirely.

More people are surviving stroke than ever before, with latest figures for Yorkshire showing the death rate was cut by 25 per cent last year alone, saving 750 lives.

But the charity says many face a bleak future as they struggle to make ends meet at the same time as public services are axed.

Stroke survivor Michael Jones, 49, and his wife Elaine, 50, are facing eviction this Christmas from their rented home in Wakefield after he was forced to switch from job seekers' allowance to the employment and support allowance which is assessed as income.

The change means the couple have now lost their housing benefit which paid the bulk of their 495-a-month rent. They must now find more than 300 for monthly rent, eight times what they had previously paid, despite a weekly income of only 157, as well as paying the full annual council tax of 565.

Mrs Jones said her husband had always been fit and healthy but he suffered two strokes and a heart attack in May last year and was forced to give up work as a senior estimator for a building firm. He was not well enough to work and she could not either due to severe arthritis.

"We're facing eviction because we can't afford the rent," she said. "If we choose to move out of the house early, we won't receive any help in finding a new property so we have to wait and accrue debt until we become homeless – it's a nightmare situation.

"The benefit system is just wrong. We've always paid our way but are now getting penalised for being ill."

She said she was the main carer for her husband and she also relied on help from the couple's three children. She had written to Prime Minister David Cameron telling him of their plight.

Angela McDaniel, 44, of Ripon, also struggled after her stroke, relying on help from the Stroke Association for information on benefits, grants to pay power bills and food parcels.

"My stroke left me unable to continue working as a carer or continue driving and has made it very difficult to look after my 14-year-old son. My partner gave up his own tiling business to look after me and it put a big strain on our relationship," she said.

The study of 800 people across the country found a fifth had suffered loss of income since their stroke and a third had been forced to pay out more including making adaptations to their home or having to pay more to heat it.

People with difficulties speaking and communicating were significantly more likely to experience problems with their work, income and increased expenses.

Julia MacLeod, head of operations for the Stroke Association in Yorkshire, said: "This report paints a bleak picture of stroke survivors struggling to make ends meet.

"The survey revealed that over half of people didn't receive the information they needed after their stroke, such as advice on diet and benefits entitlements.

"We know that many people have to give up work and go on benefits to survive hand-to-mouth, so it's distressing to find out, that despite the progress made in improving stroke provision in recent years, people aren't getting the support they need.

"We are worried that existing services to help people with their communication problems, paid for by local authorities and primary care trusts may now be under threat. With local authorities having to cut spending by seven per cent a year it's possible they will raise the eligibility criteria to receive care. It is vital that stroke survivors do not fall into a blackhole."

Christopher McKevitt, lead author of the report from King's College London, said: "Much of the previous research into stroke has focused on hospital care and this is the first time that the difficulties stroke survivors face when they get home have been looked at in detail. Our research shows that stroke is a long-term condition and the appropriate support is needed to help address these problems."

Hormone therapy study claims

Hormone therapy can make the brain "younger" – and could protect against strokes, scientists have claimed.

Tests on postmenopausal women taking hormone therapy (HT) suggest the drugs make their brains function more like those of younger women.

A study by Durham University found that, when women taking HT were asked to complete tasks of fine motor co-ordination, the left and right sides of the brain worked more closely together than women of the same age who were not taking the sex hormone drugs. Researchers hope to find out if this can make the brain more resistant to damage through stroke or other injuries.