‘Appalling denial’ of supports to Cork heart and stroke patients

OVER 67,000 IN CORK LIVING WITH CARDIO VASCULAR DISEASE

‘Nationally, 80,000 heart and stroke patients are discharged from hospital every year, or one every seven minutes, in many cases to a bleak and uncertain future’

Recent figures estimate that over 67,000 people in Cork are living with cardiovascular disease.

For many affected, supports provided by the Irish Heart Foundation are the only help they receive after a life-changing heart event, heart failure, stroke or other cardiac conditions.

The people of Cork are now being urged to reach out to their local TDs and Senators, asking them to sign a pledge to support the charity’s patient support services, with urgent annual funding of €1.2million crucial to continue the operation.

The Irish Heart Foundation currently receives just 8.6 per cent of this to fund patient support services nationwide, which it says is inadequate to help the current volume of patients.

The practical, social and emotional support services begin the minute patients leave hospital and continue for as long as they are needed.

The services reduce costs for the State every year by supporting patients to continue living in their homes rather than requiring nursing home care or being readmitted to hospital.

But only a fraction of this work is State-funded, says the charity’s Director of Advocacy and Patient Support, Chris Macey.

“Nationally, 80,000 heart and stroke patients are discharged from hospital every year, or one every seven minutes, in many cases to a bleak and uncertain future,” he said.

“One in three of all stroke patients returning home are being referred in to our services, whilst we are also supporting thousands of heart patients.

“These people cannot simply return to the lives they led before and desperately need the unique pathway of support services that the Irish Heart Foundation provides.

“We are doing our utmost with our resources to ensure that people can make the most of life after a stroke or heart diagnosis, but we cannot guarantee continued delivery of these services.”

In May, 2022, 53-year old Arthur Little from Ballydehob in West Cork was woken in bed at 1am by his wife Lydia. She thought he was having a nightmare, but soon she and their daughter Róisín realised he was having a stroke.

“I wasn’t aware I was having a stroke, but luckily my wife and daughter recognised the F.A.S.T. signs: facial drooping and left side weakness and called an ambulance immediately. I remember trying to move out of the bed and I just couldn’t,” Arthur said.

After being discharged from hospital, he waited over six weeks without any referrals or therapy. But once a call was made to the Irish Heart Foundation, the charity played out of their skin to help make up for lost time.

“For me, the services have been critical in reducing a strong sense of isolation experienced following my bilateral stroke.

“The Irish Heart Foundation offered essential remote services based around commonly used apps and internet platforms; most importantly, there is a strong sense of community with the other participants with lots of contact and support.

“The therapy, support and training given by the Irish Heart Foundation has been instrumental in me returning to work on a part-time basis, they equipped me well to face the challenges of getting back to work.”

Mr Macey says stroke patients leaving hospital often feel abandoned and many heart failure patients end up in a revolving-door system where they need to be re-admitted.

“People are denied basic services and it is appalling,” he stated.

In addition to counselling, the Irish Heart Foundation also provides nurse-led needs assessments, weekly support calls, back-to-work programmes, fatigue management, peer-topeer support services, social interaction and online exercise groups.

Once they sign the pledge, elected representatives’ names will appear on irishheart.ie.