Description
The Stroke Support Association maintains a special needs fund which is reserved for the exclusive use of our current and active stroke support group members who have an identified financial need which they are unable to meet on their own.
Special needs may include adaptive medical devices like a leg or arm brace, adaptive devices to enable a disabled person to drive, funding to attend a stroke related workshop or other stroke related expenses.
A recent example of use of this fund occurred when a stroke survivor, whose income was extremely limited due to his stroke, suffered a flood in his house due to a broken water heater. He was unable to afford to clean his carpets which were moldy and created a health hazard. The special needs fund was used to pay for the carpet cleaning.
Current, active Stroke Support Association stroke support group members may apply for special needs assistance by speaking to a group facilitator and requesting a Special Needs Application which must be filled out and returned to the facilitator. The Special Needs Committee will be convened to determine if the request qualifies for funding.
Due to limited funding, Special Needs Funding are limited to a one-time expense and not designed to pay for ongoing expenses of daily living.
Featured Recipient
Susan was legally blind due to glaucoma but, due to financial changes from her husband’s stroke, was without insurance or funds to seek help. She was also under 65 and did not qualify for Medicare. The expenses for her eye examination were paid for by the Special Needs Fund. The ophthalmologist put her in touch with the Southern. California Lyons Eye Institute which sponsored her corrective surgery. On her return home from a surgery follow-up appointment (driven by one of our volunteers) she said she could read all the signs along the road, none of which she could read before. This assistance made a significant improvement in the quality of her life and also that of her disabled husband.