Use Your Resources

In my last post, I talked about Medicare limits and how therapy is often forced to end way to early.  This is often true of private insurances too.  Right now, I  am treating a young 22 year old college student who has a severe brain injury.  He honestly could use 8-12 months of speech therapy, but unfortunately his insurance has limited him to only 18 visits.  Not 18 weeks, visits.  That equals to 6 weeks at 3 times a week.   Not fair.  I urge you to become familiar with your insurance benefits before you need them.  How much will they pay for inpatient rehab stay if needed?  How about outpatient?  Home health? 

So, what to do if this happens to you or your loved one?  Look at all your options and resources.  If you live in or near a larger city with a University or College, they may have a Speech Pathology Program (Graduate or Undergraduate) there.  This is useful b/c the students have to have so many therapy hours to graduate and so many times they have their own clinics for therapy.  These clinics are a fraction of the cost of private pay therapy, yet still good therapy b/c although they are students, they have a clinical supervisor critiquing them.  There are also many times group therapies as well as individual sessions.  Another resource is support groups.  These are great not just for the spouse, child, mother, father of the individual with aphasia, but also for the individual himself.  Use this as a therapy time, attempting to communicate to others using gestures, writing, and words.  Figure out which communication mode works best.  Last, check out home therapy products.  I personally recommend Communication Partner DVD's (being the creator) which is actually a "therapy at home" resource.  Sit back in your recliner and participate along with the DVDs which provide countless hours of therapy sessions.  (Visit the site at www.communicationpartner.com).  There are also great apps, such as Tactus which provide help with getting your words out, understanding language, reading and spelling.  Also, check out Lingraphica's apps, which are great for communicating needs and basic thoughts.  Don't be afraid to Google  "Aphasia resources" and see what comes up. 

Don't give up hope just because your insurance has run out.  Continue the journey to recovery.

How long will this last?

I can't tell you how many times I have had loved ones ask me the question "How long will this last?" or "How long until he is back to normal?".  Unfortunately, there is not a simple answer.  "This" being aphasia, is not a virus or a bacteria that can be treated and just goes away one day.   I wish it were that easy.  Recovery is often a slow, long process and becoming "normal" again may or may not happen.  Each person is different and each recovery is different.   

Recovery is influenced by many factors including the age of the individual, motivation, family support, and the amount of therapy received (often dictated by insurance).   That is not to say, if the individual has all these things going for him that he will be back to normal in no time.  It just means the prognosis is better for recovery.  Obviously, if the individual is not motivated and doesn't want to participate in therapy, then his progress will be limited. 

Recovery may take a few weeks, months or years;  just don't give up hope.

Plateau? What Plateau?

I spoke to a man last week about purchasing my aphasia therapy DVD's for his wife.  He told me that they were trying everything they could think of to provide therapy for his wife within the first year.  He said that his wife's speech therapist had told them that they had a year to eighteen month window in which all recovery occurs.  After that time, recovery seems to plateau and no longer progress.

Plateau?  What Plateau?  Who is still talking about Plateaus?  I suggested that he pick up the great book by Jill Bolte Taylor - 'My Stroke of Insight'.  She was a medical research doctor at Harvard when she had her stroke.  In her book she says that it took her 7 + years to recover 'fully'.  And remember that recovering 'fully' is a very subjective term. 

For years, people have talked about the 'therapy plateau'.   Research within the past 15 years clearly debunks this once popular idea.

If you or a loved one are worried about 'your progress' and feel like you have hit the plateau.  Don't give up!  Find some encouragement. 

Aphasia Recovery takes Time - Progress is Slow

My apologies.  I have not submitted an article since September 2010.  I had a baby in October and have been a full time mom for the last 4 months.  My time has been busy, but fun.  Now, I am back to work.

As I watch my baby develop, I am reminded of how slow progress is.  I don't notice change on a daily basis.  I realize that my baby is developing, but I cannot tell what progress is made from one day to the next.

Recovery from Aphasia is the same way.  Progress takes time. 

I think the older we get the more we forget how long it takes us as infants to develop into children and then into adults.  A stroke or brain injury robs a person of the vital, basic skills that took so long to develop.

We want the Aphasia to be gone and to be back to 'normal' quickly.  In most cases, that goal is next to impossible. 

If you or someone you know is recovering from Aphasia, please know that progress takes time and is a great deal easier with lots of love and encouragement.

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. 

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. 

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.