Stroke awareness – have you thought about what would happen to you and your family if you were unable to work tomorrow?

Stroke occurs approximately 152,000 times a year in the UK – that’s one every three minutes and 27 seconds – and there are more than 1.2 million stroke survivors

It is a sad fact that while most of us are quite happy to insure our car, our house, our travel arrangements and even our mobile phones, few of us take quite as much care over our own health and that of our loved ones.

We all think, ‘it won’t happen to us.’ However, 50% of people know someone who has suffered a serious illness or injury. So we cannot afford to bury our heads in the sand.

1 in 4 (26%) of strokes in the UK occur in people under 65 years old. Stroke is one of the largest causes of disability and half of all stroke survivors end up having a disability.

A charity-led campaign, entitled Seven Families was launched in November 2014. The campaign provides financial support for a year to seven families who are currently unable to work due to illness or disability, with no insurance in place.

The campaign shows what a difference the right level of support can make for people affected by stroke. Paul Pickford suffered a brain stem stroke at the age of 42 and now requires full time care from his wife. Initially told by doctors that Paul would never breathe independently again, Paul continues to make astounding progress. Seven Families has enabled Paul to receive increased physio and rehabilitation care and he hopes one day to return to work in some capacity.

That should serve as a stark warning to us all. With no cover in place, we’re all just a shock diagnosis or serious accident away from potentially devastating money troubles. Just at the point we’re least able to cope with them.

So, it makes sense to protect yourself and your family against the unexpected. It means you can have peace of mind, knowing your family’s income will be protected if you are unable to work due to a long term illness or disability, such as a stroke.

Source: State of the Nation – Stroke Statistics –  Stroke Association, January 2016