Engage, Challenge, and Have Fun

Helping someone with Aphasia can be tiresome.  Recovery is hard work.  Some days are better than others. 

During the recovery process, it is important to continue to challenge your stroke survivor.  I have a couple of ideas that might be fun and will require time spent together (or in a group, maybe). 

Find a topic (hobby) that your Aphasic person likes.  Try to craft a word naming game around that topic while working on something together.

For example, if your loved one likes to cook,  cook something together.  While preparing the meal, choose an ingredient - like pasta.  Put together a list of food dishes that contain pasta - ie. spaghetti, lasagna, manicotti.   Or list the different types of pasta - ie. vermicelli, penne, spaghetti.  You don't need to write anything down.  Keep it casual.  Have fun with it. 

If your loved one likes cars, go for a drive together.  While driving choose a manufacturer - like Ford.  Try to name all the Ford models you can see - ie. Taurus, Explorer, F-150 (that is a mouthful).  Again, keep it casual and have fun. 

You can make bets with each other on who can name the most.  The point is to engage with one another and challenge the aphasic while having fun.  If you can do that, you will really be doing something. 

Don't Park an Aphasic Person in front of the TV 24/7

I spoke with a person yesterday who wanted to purchase my Aphasia Therapy DVDs.  She told me it was for a family member because that person's caregiver parked the person with Aphasia in front of the television all day - everyday.  They didn't know what else to do. 

When you run out of insurance benefits, options for Aphasia therapy get harder to find.   You can go to my website http://www.communicationpartner.com/ and find DVDs that help with lower level expressive aphasia.  (Pardon the shameful plug for my therapy).  But, other options can get expensive. 

If you want to try something 'unscientific' and less expensive, I suggest going to your local Knowledge Tree and purchasing some resources.  Knowledge Tree is a store filled with resources for school age children.  If you have a little imagination, you can find some inexpensive items in the store that might help be of help for someone with aphasia.  Of course, you will have to do some work with the aphasic individual. 

But, please do not sit a person recovering from Aphasia in front of the television all day.  That stroke survivor needs stimulation in the form of conversation and interaction.

Two Great Magazines for Stroke Survivors

Please forgirve me if I insult your intelligence by stating the obvious, but I want to tell you about two great magazines for Stroke Survivors. 

Stroke Smart is a great magazine published by the National Stroke Associaton.  The subscription is a free one for United States residents.  Simply go to http://www.strokesmart.org/ and click on Subscribe. 

Stroke Connection is another great magazine published by the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association.  Again, the subscription is free.  Go to http://www.strokeassociation.org/ and follow the instructions on how to Subscribe. 

Both magazines are filled with stroke survivor stories, tips for caregivers, product introductions, etc.  I find them to be very informative and helpful to stroke survivors and families.

I hope you find this helpful. 

Be Patient - Don't Frustrate the Person with Aphasia

Last week, I spoke to a woman with an adult son suffering from Aphasia.  He had a stroke about a year ago and had been living again with her and his father while continuing his recovery. 

The lady told me that her son wanted to move out because he couldn't stand to around her husband anymore.  The father frustrates the son on a daily basis by being impatient.  He won't let the son talk.  He tries (unsuccessfully, apparently) to finish the son's sentences.  The son just wants to recover.  He doesn't want therapy at home from his dad.

As a therapist, I hear similar stories more than I like.  If you want to support a person suffering from Aphasia, Let them talk.  I will repeat that, "Let them talk".  I know it sometimes takes a long time.  To be honest, sometimes it seems like it will take an eternity if you let the person finish a sentence. 

Be supportive.  Be attentive.  Learn to be a good listener.   Let them finish.  Don't frustrate them by trying to guess what they want to say.  Don't finish sentences for them.  Relax and listen.

We all want to communicate.  We all want to share and be heard.  Sometimes, the toughest thing a caregiver can do is Nothing. 

Listen more and you will be an even stronger support to your loved one with aphasia. 

Resources to Help Find a Support Group close to You

Many times help is closer than you may think.  If you are looking for an Aphasia Support Group and don't know where to find one I have a couple of suggestions.

Go to http://www.aphasia.org/aphasia_community/aphasia_community_groups.html.  This link is posted on the National Aphasia Associaton's website.  Look for your state and see if a chapter exists close to where you may live. 

Another idea is to visit http://www.stroke.org/site/PageServer?pagename=support_groups.  This link is for Stroke Support Groups which is different than an Aphasia support group.  But you may find these helpful as well. 

Local support groups are great.  I visit several in my local area throughout the year and they are great for survivors and caregivers.  Check them out. 

Persistence Pays

Persistence pays off when it comes to Aphasia Therapy.  I know that sounds like such a cliche, but the fact is true. 

Tonight, I spoke to a woman who had bought Communication Partner's Level 1 DVDs for her son.  She called to order the Level 2 programs.  Her son has been watching the video programs everyday for the last 3 months and has seen some real progress in his aphasia recovery. 

Quite frankly, I would have a hard time watching those DVDs everyday and I created them.  Therapy is hard work and requires persistence and perserverance.  This man has seen benefits slowly over the course of time by doing simple (perhaps boring) tasks on a daily basis.

If you or a loved one are trying to recover from Aphasia, be persistent.  Progress takes time.  If you can encourage someone with aphasia, do it.  Therapy is tough.  Encouragement always helps. 

For more information on Communication Partner's DVDs, go to http://www.communicationpartner.com/.  These programs have helped people all over the world. 

Maintenance is Required

In today's disposable society, few people like to talk about maintenance. In a disposable world replacing things is easier than taking the time and spending the money to maintain them.

But some things in life are too important not to maintain.

If you are helping a person recovering from stroke or brain injury you need to realize that maintanence is required and vital to maximize recovery.

What do I mean?

After the chaos has ended and the reality of a different life has become common, holding on to who we are and what we do is important.  As part of the recovery process (whether speech, physical or occupational therapies) incorporate things that were important to the person before the stroke. 

I suggest bringing in photos, personal items, or other items of significance that can be used during the recovery process and will 'remind' the person of who they were and what they did prior to their current condition.

Maintenance of one's self will be required in order to get back to who and what a person was prior to their life changing event. 

These are my thoughts and suggestions.  Let me know what you think or if you have any comments. 

The Need for Stimulation

Yesterday I spoke to a woman regarding her mother in law. The family thought that the mother had recovered as much as she could and yet she was still unable to say single words.

The mother in law was no longer receiving any speech therapy, due to insurance limitations. The mother in law was fully aware of what was being said to her, but she could not respond with words - this is expressive aphasia. It seems that most of the family is okay with this situation.

The woman I spoke to wanted to do more for her mother in law, but was confused on what options were available.

There are many options available. My first suggestion was to find an Aphasia Support Group.

Other suggestions would be to find some Aphasia Therapy on video (see my site at http://www.communicationpartner.com/) or on software packages ( see http://www.parrotsoftware.com/ or http://www.bungalowsoftware.com/). Find some photos of family members and practice saying names. Find photos of well known places or things and help practice saying those words.

I think the most important thing is to provide Stimulation. Recovery is not static. Recovery is either moving forward or back, but it never stands still.

Let me know if you have other suggestions.