Attendees heard from guest speakers, received free health checks, ate a healthy morning tea and enjoyed games, activities and information stalls at the event which was held to coincide with National Stroke Week.

Eldercare Day Therapy Centre Coordinator Jenny Taylor said the aim of the event was to raise awareness about recognising the signs of a stroke and reinforcing the message to call Triple-Zero immediately for help.

“People of all ages can suffer a stroke, not just the elderly, so it’s important to know what to do in an emergency because those first steps you take can minimise the damage caused and potentially save a life and minimise disability,” said Jenny.

Jenny said it was the first time the Day Therapy Centre had hosted a National Stroke Week community event which was made possible through grant funding from The Stroke Foundation.

“Many of our clients are stroke survivors and we run a support group, called ‘Talkback’, for people living with impaired language skills, or aphasia, which can result from having a stroke,” said Jenny.

“We felt it was a good opportunity to spread healthy lifestyle messages and reinforce the ‘FAST’ detection method which can help identify when someone may be having a stroke.”

“It was also a chance for us to educate the community on the services we offer at the Day Therapy Centre which include speech pathology, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, podiatry, home safety assessments and exercise classes.”

Guest speakers at the community event included Nutritional Professionals Australia Dietitian Anne Schneyder who discussed the importance of healthy eating to prevent strokes and Doug Simmonds who used the ‘FAST’ approach when his wife Ruth, who is a Day Therapy Centre client, experienced a stroke.

“Our goal was for guests to leave with the ability to know what to do if they suspect someone is having a stroke and provide them with a better understanding of how exercise and healthy eating can reduce the risk of stroke - and deliver these messages in a fun and enjoyable way.”

Eldercare’s Day Therapy Centre is located at residential aged care facility Acacia Court in Hendon at 81 Tapleys Hill Road.

For more information about stroke prevention visit the Australian Stroke Foundation website.

Image: Guest Lyn Doman receives a showbag from Acacia Court Day Therapy Centre Coordinator Jenny Taylor.

View the gallery for more photos from the day: