Post-Stroke Aphasia Communication Problems And Treatment Options
Victims with post-stroke aphasia experience communication problems which requires immediate treatment approaches.
A stroke is unquestionably a devastating occurrence in one’s life. A stroke, often known as a “brain attack,” can affect any portion of the brain when oxygenated blood stops flowing, causing damage to nearby brain cells. Because these brain cells cannot be healed or replaced, the effects of a stroke are extremely difficult to manage with and recover from. Strokes are more common in the elderly, and depending on which part of the brain is injured, distinct neurological abnormalities may result.
The “communication center” is the left part of the brain that regulates our ability to speak and understand language. Aphasia can arise when a stroke affects the communication center. Aphasia is a prevalent disease that affects stroke survivors, affecting up to one in every three people who have had a stroke. This has an effect on the stroke survivor’s ability to interpret and communicate words, as well as their ability to deal with numbers. They may also have difficulty forming statements, utilizing inappropriate words, repeating words or sentences, and having poor understanding of others.
Post-Stroke Aphasia Communication Treatment Options
To guarantee your loved one with post-stroke aphasia recovers as much of their capacity to communicate as possible, it’s vital to involve a speech therapist, often called a speech-language pathologist (SLP), early and often in the early healing period of the stroke.
An SLP can assist a stroke victims with post-stroke aphasia in the following ways:
- Helping restore their capacity to speak and understand language improve their communication skills through increased activity and participation
- Develop compensatory methods to find new ways to communicate.
- Inform family members about aphasia.
Post-stroke aphasia treatment is far more difficult than correcting any mechanical difficulties that may arise as a result of a stroke, such as partial paralysis. Aphasia is more difficult to cure since the SLP must listen to the person and assess their abilities before formulating a treatment plan. Because each stroke survivor’s brain impairment is different, the SLP must spend time to understand what the problem is. The SLP must then determine whether the issue is one of comprehending others or one of being able to express themselves in a more particular way.
It is dependent on your loved one’s specific circumstances whether or not they will restore their communication abilities and when they will do so. In any case, recovering from a stroke necessitates patience, perseverance, and understanding.
How Can You Assist Your Loved One in Coping with Aphasia’s Consequences?
Although aphasia has no effect on a person’s intelligence, it might cause their speech to become difficult to comprehend, fragmented, or jumbled. It’s difficult to interact with someone who has aphasia, and it’s much more difficult to be the one who can’t speak to you as they used to. It helps to be patient and discover new ways to communicate as a loved one of a stroke survivor.
Also Read: Communication Is Key To Dementia Care
Remember to keep your queries, demands, and directions as simple as possible when speaking with someone who has aphasia. Stroke survivors may require additional time to digest information as well as develop responses to your questions or directives. Avoid finishing their sentences for them or fixing any grammatical flaws in their language, as this may irritate or enrage them.
Similarly, don’t pretend to understand what they’re trying to communicate to you if you don’t, as this may distress the stroke survivor and make them feel patronized. Ask them to describe the word, think of a comparable term, think of a sound the word begins with, or point to an object if they can’t think of the correct words to respond to you. You can also want to use visual cues to help people understand what you’re saying.
Discover: 10 Ways Of Dealing With Seniors With Dementia Hallucinations
Consider hiring an in-home caregiver to assist you with your post-stroke aphasia
Assisting a loved one with aphasia can be a difficult task, especially in the early months after the condition’s inception. Their requirements are diverse, and their condition may predispose them to irritability and other problematic behaviors. You, too, as a family caregiver, deserve a break. You might wish to hire an in-home caregiver so that your loved one can age in place and receive the care they need.
Please call our Care At Heart team at (610) 765-0497, to discuss in-home caregiving.
