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Resources & Awareness Materials

Practical guides, fact sheets and information for families, students, health workers and communities across Papua New Guinea.

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Resources for Families

🏠 Caring for a Stroke Survivor at Home

When a family member returns home after a stroke, your support makes a life-changing difference. Here are key ways to help:

  • Help with daily physiotherapy exercises as taught by the hospital team
  • Prepare soft, nutritious, low-salt meals if they have swallowing difficulties
  • Keep a daily medication chart on the wall and remind them to take medicines
  • Make the home safer — remove trip hazards, add grab bars in the bathroom
  • Encourage gentle walking practice every day with a walking frame if needed
  • Monitor for signs of another stroke and know when to seek emergency help
  • Talk to them regularly and include them in family activities

❤️ Emotional Support After Stroke

Emotional and psychological changes are very common after stroke. Up to one third of stroke survivors experience depression. Families play a vital role:

😢 Watch for signs of post-stroke depression: loss of interest, crying frequently, withdrawal from family, feeling hopeless, poor sleep, loss of appetite.
💪 What helps: Spend time with them, listen without judgment, encourage small achievements, involve them in social activities, and consult a doctor if depression symptoms are severe.
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Resources for Students

🍎 Healthy Habits for Young People in PNG

Good brain health starts young. Even as a student, the choices you make today affect your brain for life:

🏃Exercise 30–60 minutes daily
🥬Eat more fresh vegetables & fruit
💧Drink 6–8 glasses of water daily
😴Sleep 8–10 hours per night
📖Read every day to strengthen memory
🚭Never start smoking or drinking early

🤔 Did You Know? Brain Facts for Students

🌟Your brain generates enough electricity to power a small light bulb.
🌟The brain cannot feel pain — it has no pain receptors. Headaches come from surrounding structures.
🌟The right hemisphere of the brain controls the left side of the body, and vice versa.
🌟Exercise causes your brain to release chemicals that make you feel happy and think more clearly.
🌟The human brain keeps developing until around age 25.
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Resources for Communities

🏫 Awareness Activities for Schools & Churches

MindCare PNG encourages community groups to spread brain health awareness. Here are simple activities:

🎤 Awareness Talk: Invite a health worker to speak about stroke prevention at your school assembly or church service.
📋 FAST Poster Display: Print the FAST poster and display it in visible areas — classrooms, health posts, churches.
🏃 Healthy Walk Event: Organise a community walk to promote physical activity as stroke prevention.
🩺 BP Check Day: Work with a local health post to set up a free blood pressure screening day.

🥘 Traditional Food & Brain Health in PNG

Many traditional PNG foods are excellent for brain health. Encourage your community to keep eating these:

🍠Kaukau
High in potassium — helps control blood pressure
🐟Fresh Fish
Rich in omega-3 — excellent for brain function
🥬Aibika / Greens
Full of iron and vitamins for healthy blood
🌽Corn & Taro
Complex carbs for steady brain energy
🥥Coconut
Use in moderation — limit use with fatty meats
⚠️ Limit: Tinned fish (high salt), processed meats, too much coconut cream with rice, and excess salt in cooking.

Act FAST – Every Second Counts

Recognize stroke signs early:

F – Face drooping | A – Arm weakness | S – Speech difficulty | T – Time to act

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