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September 4, 2007
Good Shepherd To Convene Monthly Stroke Support Group

Allentown—Stroke is the leading cause of disability in the United States. If you are one of the more than 700,000 people who have a stroke each year, you or your family should not have to face it alone. Knowing there are others in your community in the same situation can make a world of difference.

This fall, following a summer break, Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Network once again will convene monthly Stroke Support Group meetings aimed at informing stroke patients and their families about new developments in rehabilitation and care. The program’s goal is to enhance the quality of life for participants by focusing on physical conditioning, leisure activities and socialization.

“There is always power in numbers,” says Jerry Werner, stroke program coordinator. “It is important for stroke patients to know there are others out there working through the same questions and concerns. Gaining support for patients with group meetings involving their peers shows there is life after stroke. These group sessions can be both informative and uplifting for the patients and their families.”
Each meeting focuses on a different topic of interest to stroke survivors and their families. The 2007 fall program schedule includes four meeting for a successful life after stroke:

• September 12, 1 p.m. – Adjusting to a New Life
• October 10, 1 p.m. – Staying Safe at Home and in the Community
• November 14, 1 p.m. – Keeping “Happy” in the Holidays
• December 12, 1 p.m. – Activity… the Spice of Life!

All meetings are held at Good Shepherd, 850 S. Fifth Street, Allentown. Monthly meetings of the Good Shepherd Stroke Support Group will continue into 2008 with new topics and speakers.

There is no charge to attend a session. Both stroke patients and their families are encouraged to attend.

For more information, please contact Kathye Hammes, care manager, at 610-776-8322 or khammes@gsrh.org, or Jerry Werner, stroke program coordinator, at 610-776-3585 or jwerner@gsrh.org.

Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Network, based in Allentown, Pennsylvania, is a nationally recognized rehabilitation leader, offering a continuum of care for people with physical and cognitive disabilities and specializing in assistive and rehabilitation technology. More than 35,000 people come to Good Shepherd each year for specialized programs in stroke, orthopedics, brain injury, spinal cord injury, pediatrics, amputation and more. Good Shepherd provides rehabilitation services in 7 eastern Pennsylvania counties. Good Shepherd operates 14 outpatient sites, 4 inpatient sites, a long-term acute care hospital, 2 long-term care homes for people with severe disabilities, an independent living facility, a Work Services division that provides employment training and job placement and a lifestyle products store called Rehability. Good Shepherd Penn Partners, a partnership of Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Network and the University of Pennsylvania Health System, will provide post-acute care in the Philadelphia region beginning July 2008. Good Shepherd was founded in 1908 when The Rev. John and Estella Raker invited a disabled orphan named Viola into their Allentown, Pennsylvania, home. Good Shepherd is affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. For more information, visit www.goodshepherdrehab.org.