Center for Quality of Life After Stroke Launches at University of Utah Health
SALT LAKE CITY, UT — Nearly 800,000 people in the United States experience a stroke each year, and many experience changes to cognition, language, mobility, and mood that can last for months or years. Despite this wide range of long-lasting challenges, most research into stroke recovery focuses exclusively on motor symptoms.
But for stroke survivors, quality of life encompasses far more than that: how can survivors stay connected with their communities? How can they best maintain mental health? How can families and support networks themselves be supported throughout recovery?
The Center for Quality of Life (QOL) after Stroke aims to answer these questions and more, helping stroke survivors and caregivers live their best lives. Launching through the Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation and Craig H. Neilsen Rehabilitation Hospital at University of Utah Health (U of U Health), the new center is dedicated to advancing the well-being of stroke survivors and their care partners through patient-centered, evidence-based research.
“My work has long focused on understanding how individuals adapt after stroke and translating that knowledge into evidence-based interventions,” says Alexandra Terrill, PhD, co-director of the Center. “I look forward to advancing rigorous, patient-centered research that redefines stroke recovery by placing quality of life at its core.”
From survival to living well
Rather than focusing on a narrow set of symptoms, the Center’s mission is to systematically study and elevate quality of life throughout stroke recovery, using four main avenues to ultimately set a new standard of care:
- Conducting longitudinal research to discover and implement strategies that improve stroke care and outcomes
- Training the next generation of care providers to understand and prioritize quality of life after stroke
- Fostering meaningful relationships with patients, families, clinicians, and community organizations
- Providing comprehensive resources tailored to the diverse needs of stroke survivors and their care partners
Through these complementary strategies, the Center aims to establish itself as a national-level institution for stroke recovery that focuses on the whole person.
Shifting the paradigm
As part of an academic health care system with a state-of-the-art rehabilitation hospital and interdisciplinary research capacity, U of U Health is uniquely positioned to lead this work. The Center will serve as a vital resource for clinicians, researchers, and—most importantly—stroke survivors and their families.
“We are shifting the paradigm in stroke recovery,” says Steven Edgley, MD, co-director of the Center for QOL after Stroke. “Our focus is not just on survival but on living well after stroke. This means addressing the full spectrum of challenges that patients and families face and helping them thrive, not just recover.”
“With our research focus, we will be on the forefront of what brings people quality of life after devastating injury, while providing life-changing programming and support to transform from tragedy to ultimate triumph,” Edgley adds. “This Center will be unique in the nation and in the world.”
Collaboration is at the heart of the Center. Its vital work is supported by many other initiatives, colleges, and departments, including the Comprehensive Stroke Center in the Department of Neurology, the College of Health, the Family Caregiving Collaborative, and the College of Fine Arts. U of U Health invites collaborators, community organizations, and stakeholders to join in this essential mission to redefine what stroke recovery means and ensure that quality of life is placed at the forefront of care.
