October 29 is World Stroke Day. Strokes are one of the leading causes of disability and occur among all age groups, including infants, children, young adults and older adults.
According to the World Health Organization, one in six people worldwide will have a stroke sometime in their lives. Additionally, a person dies from a stroke every six seconds. Get the word out about the risk factors for stroke and encourage your community to learn how to reduce those risks.
- Organize an educational event focusing on stroke at a local place of worship. Provide blood pressure log books for attendees and invite stroke survivors to share their experiences.
- Use your Facebook and Twitter feeds to spread awareness about stroke. Here are some prepared posts and tweets from the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association that can be modified for the occasion.
- Stock the offices of referral sources with informational stroke flyers personalized with your agency’s name and logo. Available for home health, private duty and hospice.
- Down the Act FAST Wallet Card from the National Stroke Association and distribute it with brochures for your agency. The card details the warning signs of a stroke.
- Contact a church in your community that serves a primarily African American or Latino population — both groups with a higher risk for stroke. Offer to have a discussion group about stroke facts and risks. Learn more about strokes and minorities here. Lots of free stroke-related materials in both English and Spanish are available here and here.
- Make stroke the focus of your agency newsletter this month. Check out issue #06: Brain Attack: Are you at risk for a stroke? This professionally designed newsletter educates on stroke and provides an area for you to list your services.