Projects

Why is this project needed?
The period following discharge from hospital is often the most difficult for stroke survivors and their families. This is precisely when numerous practical, social and emotional questions arise: how recovery should continue, where suitable rehabilitation or speech and language therapy can be found, which social entitlements are available, how assistive devices can be obtained, and how the home can be adapted to meet new needs.

Access to this information is often fragmented and depends on personal contacts, lengthy searches, or the ability of family members to navigate the system on their own. People with aphasia and other communication or cognitive difficulties are particularly vulnerable, as standard ways of obtaining information are often inaccessible to them.

Through this project, the Association for Stroke and Aphasia will develop and pilot a new model of a continuous social support service. It will bring together different information and consultation channels and adapt them to the individual abilities of users.

Who is behind the project?
The project is implemented by the Association for Stroke and Aphasia with the financial support of the Sofia Social Innovations Programme of Sofia Municipality.

The development and implementation of the service bring together the expertise of professionals in post-stroke support, communication in aphasia, accessible user-centred design and modern technological solutions.

What is the objective?
The objective is to provide easy, timely and continuous access to reliable information and consultation for stroke survivors, people with aphasia, their families and informal carers.

The service will be available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, including outside regular working hours, at weekends and on public holidays. Users will be able to choose between voice and written communication according to their abilities and preferences. Where necessary, they will be referred to a live operator during working hours.

What does the project include?
The creation of a multi-channel service combining:the National Helpline 0700 11 404;
email;
chat and written online communication;
voice assistance;
the option to be transferred to a live operator during working hours.
The provision of adaptive access through:a choice between written and voice communication;
consideration of users’ communication, cognitive and functional difficulties;
content in Bulgarian and English;
access to basic information and guidance 24 hours a day.
The development of:a methodology for providing the service;
a structured information resource;
scenarios for telephone and written communication;
a referral pathway to a live operator or an appropriate professional;
bilingual content in Bulgarian and English.
The organisation of:information meetings with medical, rehabilitation and social care professionals;
meetings with stroke survivors, their families and informal carers;
a public event presenting the project;
a closing event presenting the results.
Promotion through:the Association’s online resources and social media channels;
information materials in neurological clinics, rehabilitation facilities and social care services;
posters, brochures and stickers;
media publications and appearances;
presentation of the results to medical and professional communities.
Who is the service intended for?
The project is primarily aimed at:

people in the early period following discharge from hospital after a stroke;
people undergoing recovery or living with long-term functional difficulties;
people with aphasia and other communication disorders;
relatives, family members and informal carers;
foreign nationals and families with a mixed-language environment living within Sofia Municipality.
The service will help users navigate more quickly the available options for rehabilitation, speech and language therapy, social support, administrative procedures, assistive devices, home adaptation and other important post-stroke services.

Implementation period
May–November 2026

During the project, the service will be developed, technically integrated and piloted. Its use will be monitored and analysed to identify the most common needs, preferred communication channels and opportunities for future development.

Expected impact
The project will provide people affected by stroke and aphasia with faster and more equitable access to clear information and support. The opportunity to seek assistance at any time will reduce the sense of abandonment and uncertainty that often arises following discharge from hospital.

Family members and informal carers will receive timely guidance when they need to make important decisions about care, recovery and organising life after stroke. This will reduce anxiety and help them support their loved one with greater confidence.

Medical, rehabilitation and social care professionals will have an additional reliable resource to which they can refer patients and their families. This will strengthen the connection between hospital treatment, recovery and social support in the community.

The pilot implementation will make it possible to assess the effectiveness of the model and identify opportunities for expanding it to other vulnerable groups and public services.

Funding
The project has a total value of EUR 15,802. It is implemented with financial support of EUR 12,782 from the Sofia Social Innovations Programme of Sofia Municipality and a contribution of EUR 3,020 from the Association for Stroke and Aphasia.

Sustainability
The project does not create a temporary information campaign. It establishes a permanent social service model that will be integrated into the activities of the Association for Stroke and Aphasia.

The service uses existing infrastructure, including the National Helpline 0700 11 404 and the established communication channels for reaching users. This will allow it to continue operating after the end of the project funding without the need for significant additional expenditure.

The data and experience gathered will be used to improve the content, refine referral pathways and introduce new options in the future, including video communication and additional adapted channels for people with severe communication difficulties.

Why is it important?
Because questions and concerns after stroke do not arise only during working hours.

Because timely information can accelerate access to the necessary support.

Because communication should adapt to the person—not the person to the limitations of the service.

Because no one should be left alone during the first and most difficult steps after stroke.

The project is funded through the Sofia Social Innovations Programme of Sofia Municipality.

  Why is this project needed?

People with aphasia often face barriers in accessing health services. Because of the communication difficulties they experience after a stroke or other neurological damage, they are unable to fully express symptoms, needs, or consent for treatment. This leads to serious risks to health and the quality of care.

The Association for Stroke and Aphasia recognizes this vulnerability and with this project aims to overcome barriers to communication between victims and medical professionals. The project focuses on the development of easily accessible, practical tools, as well as on raising awareness and capacity of the environment.

  Who is behind the project?

The Association for Stroke and Aphasia implemented the project with the financial support of the Social Innovation Program of Sofia Municipality .

  What is the goal?

Improve access to health services for people with aphasia, a condition in which the ability to speak, understand, read or write is impaired after a stroke or other brain damage.

 What does the project provide?

✅ Development of:- Language communication cards - to facilitate dialogue between victims and medical professionals- Free mobile application - pocket assistant with vocabulary and visual resources- Communication guidance cards - for doctors, dentists, relatives and the victims themselves

✅ Conducting:- Trainings for general practitioners, specialists and relatives- Information meetings and events

✅ Promotion through:- Online resources of stroke.bg- Information materials and illustrations

 Implementation period:

June – November 2025

The project resources are expected to be available free of charge at the end of November 2025 on the Association's website: www.stroke.bg

 Expected impact

The project will improve the quality of life of people with aphasia by enabling them to communicate more successfully in key health situations. This will reduce the feeling of isolation and increase their self-confidence when interacting with medical professionals and society as a whole.

The relatives of the victims will receive practical tools and knowledge to be more effective in supporting and understanding their relative. This will reduce tension and improve the emotional connection in the family.

Medical and non-medical professionals will increase their capacity to work with people with communication difficulties, which will lead to better quality care, better information and ethical commitment to patient rights.

 ♻️ Persistence

The project is structured in such a way as to provide a long-term benefit even after the funding expires. The created resources – the mobile application, communication cards and guidelines – will remain freely available to a wide audience. The Stroke and Aphasia Association will continue to disseminate them through its website, events and partnerships.

In addition, trained professionals and relatives will have a sustainable capacity to work with people with aphasia, which will positively affect their practice in the long run. The established contacts and network of like-minded people will continue to be active after the end of the project.

 Why is it important?

- Because every person has the right to be understood- Because help begins with proper communication- Because the environment must be adapted to the needs of people with aphasia

The project is funded by the Social Innovations Program of Sofia Municipality