We have great pleasure welcoming Dr Abdul Seckam - a friend of the Leg Club Foundation and Stroke Research and Innovation Manager for Stroke Hub Wales based at Cardiff Metropolitan University (https://stroke.wales).
This episode is the second of a trio of insighful topics in which Abdul presents ‘To sing or not to Sing - that is the question!’ -- an ingenious approach to treating and caring for stroke survivors by facilitating social and meaningful virtual group activities to groups in communities.
Stroke is a public health concern and the emergence of the COVID-19 virus has compounded the situation for social support/ rehabilitation groups for stroke survivors. Many stroke survivors were required to self-isolate for 12 weeks or more according to government rules and regulations. This has led to the use of innovative technological platforms (e.g. Zoom) for delivering rehabilitation activities through ‘Life After Stroke Group’ sessions, such as choir practice for stroke survivors.
Abdul discusses a recent publication in collaboration with Dr Britt Hallingberg, exploring stroke survivors’ experiences and perceptions of engaging, or choosing not to engage, in a virtual choir (VC) during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Three main themes were identified: (1) experience of singing in a choir, (2) VCs and me and (3) yearning to sing face-to-face with respective subthemes. The experience and perceptions presented are intertwined. Whilst most stroke survivors perceived VC as a positive platform for providing a sense of belonging (community), there was a sense of yearning for face-to-face singing.
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