Evaluation of the Stroke Association’s Life After Stroke Services in Eastern & Coastal Kent

The Stroke Association commissioned CHSS to evaluate the effectiveness of the Life After Stroke service in Eastern and Coastal Kent in meeting the needs of stroke survivors in the first twelve months after their discharge from hospital care. The evaluation was required to measure the impact of these support services on the lives of stroke survivors and their carers, also to assess the effectiveness of the way the service was being delivered and how well it was working with other agencies.

The evaluation was conducted over a two year period, from May 2010 to April 2012. A mixed methods approach was taken to evaluate the Life After Stroke service. The quantitative approach was based on the views of 98 stroke survivors who completed postal questionnaires and on data from quarterly management reports. The qualitative part of the evaluation was face-to-face interviews and focus groups with stroke survivors, carers, with those providing the Life After Stroke service, and with a small number of wider stakeholders working in NHS acute hospitals and commissioning organisations.