FEATURE
Getting Aphasia Aware
Our regular columnist Stroke Association tells us more about Aphasia Awareness Month in this feature, designed to raise awareness about the condition.
Aphasia is a communication disability which affects a third of stroke survivors. It can impact on an individual’s ability to speak, read, write, understand and use numbers. It can be very challenging for those affected and those who care for them.
More than 350,000 people in the UK have aphasia. One of the biggest challenges faced by those who are affected is that many people do not know enough about aphasia or how to help them.
For care staff, not being able to communicate with those who have aphasia can be extremely frustrating. Learning different techniques to overcome these barriers can help many staff who care for stroke survivors and others with neurological conditions.
Communication problems change lives, relationships and an individual’s sense of self. As a result someone with a communication difficulty can become dependent on others, which can affect their confidence.
In order to help all of those affected by aphasia the Stroke Association
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is now offering a one day training course that focuses on how to support communication in Aphasia sufferers.
The organisation has found that using practical examples and stroke survivor stories helps to build empathy with those that have aphasia. We explain how to use communication ramps to enable the person with aphasia to express themselves more clearly and make their needs known to those who care for them. We also introduce aids that can help make communication quicker and easier, which can be simple charts with words and pictures.
The training course explains how to use a communication passport, which is a document that can be used to pass important information about the person who has the communication difficulty, from one carer to another. It explains the kind of problems that person has, the medication they take and their likes and dislikes. You can find out more about communication aids here.
Being able to communicate effectively helps to promote patient centred care, as the service user can interact better
with their carers to let them know their needs. This will promote self- management of their condition.
communication disability
“Aphasia is a
which affects a third of stroke survivors.”
The factsheet ‘Communication problems after stroke’ can be useful for stroke survivors and their friends and families, to help them understand more about communication problems after stroke.
For more information about the range of courses and qualifications we provide, visit our website –
stroke.org.uk/training or call us on 01527 903911
www.tomorrowscare.co.uk
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