Video with 4 important tips when talking to someone with Aphasia, by Carly Gillis for Upworthy Community.

Five years ago, a drunk driver gave her aphasia, which is a kind of speech disorder that sometimes happens after a stroke. But the ordeal didn’t take away her sense of humor. She imitates exactly what it’s like on the receiving end of a typical conversation for her (complete with costume change!) in hopes of reminding the rest of us to just be cool when talking to someone like Laura. See Video on TIPS

5 Ways to Reduce Post-Stroke Pain, Article posted on 11/5/13 by Mara Calomino for Stroke Smart

More often than not, survivors will experience pain associated with their stroke. This pain can either be local or central, moderate or severe, constant or on and off. Local pain is due to muscle or soft tissue damage and is felt mostly in the joints. Central pain is less common, but can be very severe making even the slightest sensations painful, such as warmth, cold or touch. Other types of pain that can occur are shoulder pain, spasticity, and headaches. Fortunately there are some simple changes you can make to help ease the pain. Here are a few tips:

1. Remain Active. The stiffer and weaker your muscles, the higher the probability of pain. So keep your body in motion. Stretching and exercising daily are important to flexibility and will help reduce the possibility of joint pain, shoulder pain and spasticity. This can be anything from walking to arm, hand and leg exercises, or even light weight lifting. But don’t push yourself too hard, only do what you can and work your way up.

2.00 Keep your arms and legs supported. If you have a weak/paralyzed arm or leg, keeping it propped up will greatly diminish the soreness you may feel. If you are lying down, rest it on the arm rest, ottoman or a pillow. Use a shoulder sling while you walk or position a splint on the affected arm or leg to reduce discomfort.

3. Avoid sensations that cause you pain. Warm and cool sensations can often be misinterpreted by the brain as being extremely painful. Therefore try to avoid hot baths and cold drinks. Tight clothes or clothes that bunch easily can also cause extreme discomfort. Wearing loose clothing can help avoid that pain.

4. Stay hydrated. Experts say we should be drinking about two or three liters of water a day. This will increase the amount of blood flowing to your brain and reduce the likelihood of experiencing headaches. Moderate caffeine and alcohol because they will dehydrate you quickly.

Try Alternative Medication. Massage therapy, acupuncture, meditation or even yoga could all be great holistic ways to help manage the pain. No matter what route you choose, dealing with and treating pain should always involve the help of your doctor or physician.

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Speech therapist and audiologist, Caitlin Longman, offers the following tips when communicating with someone who has aphasia.

One in three stroke victims will experience some form of aphasia, a communication disability.
Tips for communicating with a person with aphasia:

1. Always be respectful when addressing an individual living with aphasia. People living with aphasia are intellectually competent and fully capable of participating in conversation.

2. Address the person with aphasia directly and never talk about them as if they are not in the room. If you want to speak for them always ask for their permission first.

3. Before starting a conversation, make sure you have the person’s attention.

4. Minimise background noise (TV and radio) which may interfere or disrupt a conversation.

5. Keep your own voice at a normal level, unless the person has indicated otherwise.

6. Keep communication simple but at an appropriate adult level. It may help to emphasise key words.

7. Be patient and give them time to speak. Do not finish their sentences or presume you know the word they want to say.

8. Some individuals living with aphasia benefit from alternative communication methods paired with speaking, like drawings, gestures, writing and facial expressions.

9. When communicating with an individual with aphasia always confirm that you are communicating successfully with “yes” and “no” questions or repeat the phrase/sentence.

10. It is important that people living with aphasia and their families are included in community activities and decision-making.

Giving people with aphasia a voice

Sponsored by the Vodacom Change the World programme, Longman teamed up with the talented photographer Valentina Nicol and Park Care Frail Care Centre in Johannesburg to create a stroke awareness and aphasia campaign using photography.

The idea was to allow stroke survivors an opportunity to send a message of hope or piece of advice to other individuals living with stroke and aphasia by placing their message on a chalk board and having their portrait taken with their message.

“All the messages came from the stroke survivors themselves and it was a truly empowering experience,” said Longman, “The results have been powerful for both the residents and for the individuals whose lives they have touched.”

You can view the full photo campaign on Longman’s Pinterest board. For more insight into how the condition affects people, watch this interview with Jan and Laverne, a married couple who both experienced strokes and are now living with different forms of aphasia.

5 Trouble Free Traveling Tips, an Article posted on Stroke Smart, posted by Mara Calomino Oct 28 2013

With the winter approaching, travel is probably on your mind, either to see family members, or just get away from the cold. But if you or a loved one has survived a stroke, traveling may seem like a daunting task. The reality is taking a trip can be an amazing way to re-energize and lift your spirits. If you’re a caregiver of a survivor hoping to travel, thorough planning is essential. You don’t want to be caught off guard.

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PAUL’S FAVORITES:
Electronic Dictionary

From Paul Berger:

I have a Franklin Speaking Language Master Electronic Dictionary and Thesaurus that is more than 15 years old. I use this sturdy, compact dictionary to understand words in the newspaper, books, or work instructions.

I type in the word and search on definitions, synonyms, and the thesaurus, by punching one button. If I don’t understand the words in the definition, I can look up each one until I understand the full meaning. Also, when I’m writing, and trying to remember a word, I type in the letters I know, and the word-finder will give me a list of choices. If I’m not sure which is right, I can check each word’s meaning by punching the definition or synonym key.

To see one like mine:
Click Here .

For details on other Paul-tested helpful books and products, visit:
www.strokesurvivor.com

Losing the ability to communicate is distressing and incredibly frustrating. Friends and family members can make communication easier by:

1. Paying close attention to the affected person
2. Giving feedback about the need for clarification
3. Providing more time for communication
4. Confirming information
5. Keeping statements relatively brief
6. Supplementing speech with gestures

This from National Stroke Association:

Treatment alone is not always enough to fight depression. A variety of practical management strategies can help fight depression and other difficult emotions.

If depression is left untreated and unmanaged, it can worsen a number of other common post-stroke conditions such as malnutrition, incontinence, pain, fatigue and sleep issues. Depressive emotions can increase when a stroke survivor is frustrated about not making progress in recovery.

Some tips to manage depression include:

*Communicate: Talking about feelings, post-stroke issues and concerns with caregivers, family and friends can be very helpful. Relationships may change after a stroke and it may take time to adjust to new roles.
*Improve nutrition: Foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids, folic acid, vitamin B and complex carbohydrates can help improve mood and fight depression. Omega-3 fatty acids (fish, flaxseed, walnuts) promote brain health. Complex carbohydrates (brown rice, oatmeal and whole wheat) boost neurotransmitter chemicals in the brain that affect mood.
*Dark chocolate helps fight fatigue and reduce stress.
*A deficiency in folic acid (beans, oranges, broccoli) is linked to depression; folic acid boosts neurotransmitters and promotes cognition.
*Vitamin B12 (eggs, milk, liver) increases energy and alertness.
*Attend a stroke support group: National Stroke Association’s Stroke Support Group Registry lists hundreds of support groups throughout the U.S.
*Set realistic goals and prioritize: Break up larger tasks or projects into smaller ones.
*Practice stress and anxiety management techniques: Deep breathing, squeezing a stress ball, guided imagery, aromatherapy, meditation and taking a walk or journaling can be very helpful.
*Be patient with yourself and loved ones: Stroke can be traumatic and recovery takes time.
*Stay as active as possible: Adaptive equipment and aids such as canes, braces and walkers can help stroke survivors improve physical fitness. Walking, yoga and swimming are low-impact and promote recovery.
*Get out into the community: Volunteering for a cause you believe in, returning to work, taking cooking classes or joining a club can be exciting.
*Minimize or eliminate alcohol consumption and smoking.

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The truth and scary thing about strokes is that they can happen to anyone. People young and old, of any race, and of any nationality or ethnicity can potentially suffer a stroke.

Nevertheless, like many other health conditions there are things we can do to try and lower our risk of suffering a stroke. In fact, about 80% of strokes are deemed to be preventable. Here are some ways that we can help lower our risk of suffering a stroke.

1. Control your high blood pressure
Probably the most effective way to lower your risk of suffering a stroke is by lowering your blood pressure. The first part of this is to routinely test it and be aware of what it is. If your number tends to be high you should probably consult with your doctor to see if medication can help. Lifestyle changes make a hige difference as well and many of them are even listed below, these include; having a healthy diet, exercising, reducing stress, and maintaining a healthy weight.

2. Quit Smoking
Yes. That one famous vice many still have. We all know the detrimental physical effects that smoking causes, even smokers know that it is bad for them. Greater risk of suffering a stroke can now be added to that long list of negative effects, including; easily getting winded, bad breath and of course lung cancer.

3. Exercise. Exercise. Exercise.
Yes we are always bombarded by the advice that exercise improves our health both mentally and physically and here is just another benefit to burning those calories. Working out does lower the risk of a stroke, by lowering your blood pressure, helping you maintain a healthy weight, and it also increase the level of good cholesterol also known as high-density lipoprotein. We know that time and responsibilities constrain us from exercising as much as we should but it is important to try and remember that even 30 minutes a day of some form of aerobic activity can help and will add up for the better.

4. Drink alcohol in moderation
There have been many studies about alcohol consumption and how they relate to stroke, yet all have been fairly conflicting. It is important to note however, that even if the medical community has not yet come to a general agreement, many physicians would still suggest that drinking in moderation is still the best advice. This because of the general negative effects and consequences that can come from drinking too much.

5. Eat your veggies
Yes, the most timeless tips of all. Vegetables are full of folic acid, vitamins B6 and B12. The increased intake of these vitamins have been proven to lower blood levels of homocysteine, an amino acid that studies suggest is correlated with a higher risk of stroke as well as heart disease. The general recommnendation is for several servings a day.

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7 Questions to Ask Your Speech Language Pathologist About Aphasia, an article/blog for Blog @VerbalApp posted by Mike Park on 9.13.13

Speech Language Pathologists (SLPs) are often involved in treating patients who have suffered strokes, Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBIs), and other neurological diseases. Their job is to help patients regain and/or compensate for any communicative abilities that they may have lost due to surgery or brain damage. The work these SLPs do is truly amazing, and everyday more and more people are able to communicate better thanks to them.

Through Verbal, we have had the privilege to meet with many SLPs. We learned that they do not simply run through exercises, but are also full of valuable information and other resources. Here are some questions you may want to ask your SLP:

Are there local/online support groups that I can join?
Are there augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) devices I can use to help me communicate or practice my speaking?
What are the benefits and requirements of using such devices?
Which one(s) are the most appropriate for me?
Will my insurance cover such device(s)?
How can I explain to strangers that I have aphasia?
What can I do to be better understood by others?

Join in and Comment.

Coping with Aphasia – When You Need to Find New Ways to Communicate, an Article by Joan F. Peters, Esq., Executive Director of National Aphasia Association. This article appeared in the Safe Alert Store’s website.

When I tell people I work for the National Aphasia Association, I usually get a blank look. Then, when I describe the condition, over and over again I hear, “Oh my father had that. He couldn’t talk after his stroke. I didn’t know that’s what it was called.”

Aphasia is a condition that usually results from stroke or other brain injury. It damages parts of the brain involved with communication. People with aphasia have trouble expressing themselves and/or understanding what others are saying to them. Many people with aphasia also have trouble with reading and writing. But, their thought process is the same as it was before. It is as if there is a short circuit in the brain between the ability to think and the ability to use language; people with aphasia are literally trapped inside their own heads. Because they have a hard time making their needs known, they can become frustrated, isolated and depressed. Aphasia affects about 25-40% of stroke survivors, or more than 1 million Americans.

It cannot be cured, and there is no pill yet to make it better. Working with a speech-language pathologist is often effective, but insurance and Medicare coverage for speech therapy is becoming increasingly limited. To make matters worse, even though aphasia is relatively common, many people with aphasia are discharged from the hospital with little information about how to live with it. (One study found that a significant percentage of spouses of people with aphasia lacked a basic understanding of the condition.)

Yet there are simple steps that spouses, caregivers, friends and relatives can take to further communication and make the condition less devastating:
*Many people with aphasia say their aphasia gets worse when they are in a stressful or pressured situation. Give the person with aphasia time to finish his/her sentences. Even if you think you know what they are going to say, wait until you get a clear signal that your suggestion would be welcome.
*Be sensitive to background noise and turn off radios, TVs, appliances. Keep your voice at a normal level as shouting will not help. Group conversations and family dinners can be difficult for people with aphasia.
*Try using pictures, gestures, writing, and facial expressions. The important thing is to get the point across, not that one’s speech be perfect.
*Use yes/no questions to check that the person with aphasia has understood you. (But make sure they are using “yes” and “no” appropriately; some people with aphasia will say “no” when they mean “yes,” especially right after their stroke).
The National Aphasia Association (NAA) provides information for people with aphasia, caregivers and others on its website www.aphasia.org; or you can call toll-free (800) 922-4622 to order information packets. The NAA also publishes The Aphasia Handbook: A Guide for Stroke and Brain Injury Survivors and Their Families. The neurologist and author Oliver Sacks, MD, calls the Handbook, “an essential resource for people with aphasia and their families.”

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