NeuroLifeNow reveals the latest lived experiences of neurorehabilitation during the covid pandemic.

The latest findings from support and research app, NeuroLifeNow captures a month in the lives of people coping with neurological disorders in the midst of the UK’s third covid lockdown.

And it’s a bittersweet picture. 

Analysis [1] by the project’s co-ordinators, the UK’s Brain and Spine Foundation and The Neurological Alliance, reveals over half of the 256 people who shared their experiences in February reported feelings of anxiety or hopelessness.

The same number were more likely to have reported delays to their care in the past four weeks.

While a third of all the participants felt that their mental health needs were not being met at all, or to a small extent.

On the upside, however, of the 255 medical appointments reported during the month, 72% said their appointment was helpful.

And the praised professional singled out as helpful by 93 per cent of those with an appointment was – the specialist nurse.

So what’s top of the service provision pops?

“This month,” the NeuroLifeNow team revealed, “we were struck by the high proportion of people who reported their videoconference appointment as being helpful, compared to the small proportion who reported a helpful appointment by phone.

   This suggests further research is required to understand how to maximise the time spent with your health and care professional, and how this might differ across different modes of delivery.   

More facts and figures from the lived experiences reported between 1 and 28 February 2021:

• 56 different neurological conditions and symptoms were represented. 
• Over 70 per cent of the respondents were female.
• 4 in 5 participants said they were following the Government’s covid guidelines completely.

The NeuroLifeNow app enables people with neurological conditions to share experiences of their care in the past four weeks in return for information and professional support services provided by the Brain and Spine Foundation. 

The findings are being shared with neurological specialists along with Government ministers to inform NHS recovery plans. 

More information here: Neuro life now

Further reading

Brain and spine foundation CEO Marc Smith on neuro life now app

The best ways to help isolated brain injury survivors use video calling during the covid-19 pandemic

Twenty apps to boost brain injury rehabilitation