Hunter New England Health launch 'Yarning Up After Stroke' in Tamworth for Indigenous stroke recovery

Ms Brandy is an Aboriginal Health Worker in Tamworth and said recovering from a stroke continues long after hospital discharge papers are signed.

She was at Tamworth hospital on Tuesday to launch 'Yarning Up After Stroke', which is a new program to help Aboriginal people on their journey to recovery.

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"Our mob don't know what support is out there and what services they can connect to," she told the Leader.

"It's all built around narrative, research and going in and sitting with the client who has had the stroke and what their journey looks like for them."

The program is about having "yarns" about how people are going after a stroke and finding them the care they need, but it's all driven by the community.

"The mob own this project ... it's all about them telling us what they want," Ms Brandy said.

"We know about the rehabilitation process once they are in hospital but once they are transferred back out into the community; that's where our gap is."

She said anything from helping people get back to watching footy games or being able to go to the local pool can improve quality of life post-stroke - even though it will be different.

"It's about looking at what they have done previously ... and how we can support their journey," she said.

Hunter New England Health (HNEH) will operate the program in Tamworth, which is the city most stroke patients in the region are transferred to.

"This is the first time HNEH is looking at how to do things differently because we know that once our mob come back into the community often their health is deteriorating," Ms Brandy said.

"My job is just to empower our mob."

Indigenous people are almost twice as likely to have a stroke compared to other groups in Australia.

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