Caring for an Aphasia Patient

 Around 1,000,000 individuals in America suffer from some form of aphasia, struggling to communicate as easily as they did pre-injury. The role of an aphasia patient's carer is to aid the recovery process in the hope that the patient will regain a level of normality to their speech. Throughout the recovery period there are a series of actions that a carer can take to aid in relearning language, or to help a patient to feel more confident in communicating.

Keeping it Simple

One key thing to remember when communicating with an aphasia patient is that, while they may understand everything you say it may take them longer to process it. Keeping background noise and distractions to a minimum can help their comprehension. Avoid talking to them like you would a child and use adult language, however, keep sentences shorter and simple so it is easier for them to reply. Instructions should be broken down into simple steps and, initially, questions should be yes-or-no ones. This will allow an aphasia patient to slowly regain their ability to retain information.

Learn to Listen

Depending on the manifestation of a patient's aphasia it may take them a longer time to respond to a question. In these circumstances it is important not to rush them to respond and simply to be patient until they have finished talking. Avoid putting words into their mouths otherwise they will not have the opportunity to relearn speech for themselves. If forming full sentences is a struggle for a patient try working out other ways of communicating, such as using hand gestures, picture charts, or writing. The inability to vocalize thoughts does not mean that they do not understand what you have said so ask them if they have and simply cannot say their response.

Boost Their Confidence

An important aspect of the recovery process is the patient feels that they are living a normal life, so encourage them to to participate in every-day activities and decisions. Try to encourage them to carry out more daily tasks independently and avoid the urge to overprotect them. Although it may seem counter-intuitive to engage a patient in conversations with larger groups of people, it may be beneficial to their recovery. In a one-on-one setting there is a lot of pressure on the patient to respond to questions and engage in the conversation but in a small group they are able to join in when they feel ready and no one is waiting on them to reply. As their speech improves try taking the patient out into more public settings so that they can practice their communication skills in real life situations.

The most important thing to remember when aiding the recovery of an aphasia patient is that each case is different. Rehabilitation methods that may have worked for one patient may not work for another so work with them to find the best exercises for their situation.