About StrokeLINK
- Lauren McDunphy, Stroke Nurse Specialist
- 7 minute read
- Last updated: October 2023
StrokeLINK is a unique programme of care for stroke patients who are returning home from hospital. It is a nurse-led service, supported by an educational booklet and this website. StrokeLINK helps patients to do the things that will help them recover well at home.
What does StrokeLINK provide?
StrokeLINK provides support and tools for patients who have had a stroke or TIA (transient ischaemic attack).
Currently, the StrokeLINK service is only provided at the Mater Hospital in Dublin. In the future, we hope that it can be offered at other hospitals across Ireland.
For StrokeLINK patients treated at the Mater Hospital, we provide:
StrokeLINK nurse-led service
Specialist StrokeLINK nurses empower patients to be actively involved in their own care. Patients meet with a StrokeLINK nurse before leaving hospital. They will tell you about the StrokeLINK service and about what to expect when returning home.
The StrokeLINK nurse will follow up with you within 48 hours of your hospital discharge. They will continue to check in with you regularly until your scheduled three-month medical clinic check up.
StrokeLINK nurses are available as a point of contact for any stroke-related issues you encounter. You will also be given educational tools, as detailed below.
The Living Well book
The Living Well book was created for patients and their care partners. It helps patients understand their stroke and encourages them to do the things that will speed their recovery.
The book guides patients on healthier lifestyle choices and is personalised to their individual needs. It is also a place where they can keep track of their blood pressure goals.
Patients are taught how to use the QR codes in the book, which link to informative tools and motivational videos online.
StrokeLINK videos
We are currently creating a set of videos to accompany the StrokeLINK website and the Living Well book.
Developed by members of the Mater stroke team for patients and their carers, the videos will provide practical advice on things like returning home after stroke and blood pressure monitoring.
Text message reminders
StrokeLINK patients at the Mater Hospital can get regular text messages that complement the ideas in the Living Well book. Typical texts include reminders to take your blood pressure or to link up with the Irish Heart Foundation’s Stroke Connect Service.
A point of contact for public health nurses and GPs
StrokeLINK provides a direct point of contact and an educational support service for public health nurses and GPs (family doctors) who are caring for StrokeLINK patients.
For stroke patients around Ireland, we provide:
StrokeLINK.ie
We developed this website to provide a fact-checked, go-to resource for all stroke and TIA (transient ischemic attack) survivors and their families.
The entire stroke team at the Mater Hospital came together to make sure that everyone who needs guidance and information can access it here.
We hope that it will empower stroke and TIA patients to live well and also provide support to their families and carers.
How did StrokeLINK come about?
From patient experience surveys carried out at the Mater Hospital, we knew that patients often feel unprepared to meet the challenges of returning home after having a stroke. This can leave them feeling unsure and worried about their condition and ultimately raises the risk of hospital readmission when complications arise.
We knew that we had to find a better way to support patients after stroke. One in five people globally are expected to have a stroke at some stage in their lives, and they need tools to enable them to recover well.
The Mater stroke team, along with Mater Transformation, started working on the development of StrokeLINK.
StrokeLINK’s aim is to:
- provide patients with the post-hospital care they need
- guide them on their recovery journey
- prevent them having a further stroke or TIA
StrokeLINK was designed in collaboration with patients, their families, members of the Mater Hospital stroke team and community healthcare staff and with the help of designers from the National College of Art and Design (NCAD).
The initial development of the StrokeLINK programme was funded by the Sláintecare Integration Fund and in 2022, that funding became annual and permanent. More funding was received through the Public Service Innovation Fund, the National Clinical Programme for Stroke and the HSE’s Spark Innovation Programme. This extra funding has allowed us to increase the depth and quality of the service even further.
Impact of StrokeLINK
- Before StrokeLINK, one in ten patients came to the hospital for certain emergencies. Those emergencies are now handled in the community by StrokeLINK.
- 64% of patients stopped smoking compared to 14% before.
- 97% of patients monitor their own blood pressure compared to 58% before.
- 93% of patients make healthier dietary choices compared to 42% before.
- 98% of patients rated their post-hospital care as excellent compared to 63% before.
- The cost of providing StrokeLINK is less than one quarter of the cost of the hospital admissions it prevents.
Values and principles
Our aim is to be always honest in what we say and do, to minimise frustrations and build trust. We always provide the information (the great and not-so great) that our patients need.
Healthcare information must always come from knowledgeable and open sources. We pledge to share reliable information with our patients and their family members, in line with healthcare best practices.
We aim to cater to varying literacy levels and provide patients and their families with information that they can easily understand. By using concise language and simple visuals, we aim to bridge the knowledge gap and make healthcare information accessible for those who need it.
We aim to take complex healthcare language and concepts and break them down into to understandable, actionable points. We will always try to educate our patients and their families, empowering them to become agents of their own health.
We continually deepen our understanding of the current and future needs of patients. Healthcare is transforming into a community model of care. Patients want more convenience, access and transparency around their personal health.
Contact us
Find out more
If you are interested in stroke research and innovation or have a media enquiry. Please contact us through our contact form below.
Disclaimer
For any medical related enquiries regarding your stroke care needs please contact your local doctor (GP). StrokeLINK does not have the capacity to answer these enquiries. Thank you for your understanding.
Other information
Top tips
Key information is right here
"Most of the information in the Living Well book is available here on the StrokeLINK website."
Lauren McDunphy | Stroke Clinical Nurse Specialist |
Frequently asked questions
The Mater Hospital is the first hospital where StrokeLINK is available. It is being developed and improved all the time, and the hope is that it will be offered to other hospitals in the future.
Right now, StrokeLINK can only support patients being discharged from the Mater Hospital.
However, this website has a great deal of information for stroke/TIA patients and their carers which is very helpful no matter where someone is being treated.
If you are a stroke or TIA patient or concerned family member not being treated at the Mater Hospital, please link in with your GP who will be aware of your care needs.
The Irish Heart Foundation also provides excellent post stroke support for all stroke survivors around Ireland. You will find a number of supportive services on their website www.irishheart.ie
