Free Website to Help with Relearning of Your Language Skills

Although this isn't an 'aphasia' website, it is a really 'free' website that be used to relearn your language skills! Thanks Kurt Baker from Aphasia Recovery Connection (Facebook page). If you haven't found the Aphasia Recovery Connection Facebook page yet, go on Facebook and find them. To participate on the page, 'Like' the page and they will confirm you as a member. Then, you will have their posts on your 'Timeline'.

Good stuff on Aphasia Recovery Connection (ARC) Facebook page! 'Like' them!

"Relearning Language Skills"

June is Aphasia Awareness Month

Aphasia Awareness

This is a good article on aphasia from WJLA news from Virginia... Aphasia Patient Struggle with Speech Impairment

June is Aphasia Awareness Month, let's make sure that we do something for aphasia awareness...explain at least one person what aphasia is.

Aphasia Mentoring Program

An Aphasia Mentoring Program: Perspectives of Speech-Language Pathology Students and of Mentors With Aphasia
Purves, Petersen and Puurveen described an aphasia mentoring program that positions people living with aphasia as experts in speech-language student education.

People living with chronic aphasia have a difficult getting back to 'life'. Lives 'before' the stroke. They might have a difficult time to get back their lives; however, they will a different life. What a great idea to have people living with aphasia be experts on aphasia and their journey through the healthcare system be educational tool! What a great program to have hands-on experience with the life journey through aphasia of their patients.
No surprise that the authors of this paper concluded that...

"people with aphasia as experts can make a significant contribution to student education while supporting mentors' own goals, with implications for improved quality of life."

And, perhaps set the stage for the future where people living with aphasia can be equal partners in their care.

I'm surprised that Dalhousie University (Halifax, Nova Scotia, CA) didn't publish their Health Mentors Program as a paper. The Medical Humanities Department, Dalhousie University started a Health Mentors Program three years ago. Health Mentors Program is an innovative, interprofessional program that is now mandatory to all students in the healthcare professions (including medicine and pharmacy).

Students are placed in an interprofessional team: 4-5 team members from medicine, nursing, speech-language, pharmacy, etc. The purpose of the team is to develop an understanding and appreciation of the family living with a condition/disability through the health mentor's experiences and role of team members throughout the health mentor's journey.

I have been involved as a health mentor for two years. I see the interprofessional health mentors program as an excellent tool for students. The potential where we will have a patient/client-centered healthcare system; because different students from all of the healthcare professions have to relate how to work together. They will know it is possible!

I worked in healthcare for 35 years, although I heard the 'talk', I didn't see the 'walk'. Patient/client-centered healthcare system sat...nothing happened, it seemed. Because professionals didn't believe it was possible? Now we have 3 years of healthcare professional students that know it is possible to be an interprofessional team. I can't wait until we graduate and be in our healthcare journey!

Congratulations to Dalhousie University interprofessional health mentors program!

For more information, read the article abstract:Aphasia Mentoring Program

Health Mentors Program

"Heart to Heart"

"Heart to Heart" is a song and video that explains aphasia. The song was composed by Marc Black and Candy Kugel. Marc performs "Heart to Heart". The video was created and produced by Buzzco Associates.

"Heart to Heart" is in the video "It's Still Me". "It's Still Me" is a video that this about 15 min. in length...perfect for aphasia presentations.

Please enjoy and share!!!

June is Aphasia Awareness month!

What People Living With Aphasia Think About the Availability of Aphasia Resources

The purpose of this study conducted by Henckley, Hasselkus and Ganzfried was to see what perceptions people living with aphasia were on resources and information needs.

An online survey of was conducted in the U.S. There was 302 survey respondents. The responses and comments framed questions to discuss with four focus groups of people has aphasia and their caregivers.

Focus groups discussions showed the need for information and resources:

"in the early stages from health care workers and the continuing needs in later stages from community resources such as support groups or other sources".

Survey conclusions confirmed that people living with aphasia "do not receive all of the information that they would like". Public awareness of aphasia is a barrier for finding information and resources.

June is Aphasia Awareness month. Let's do our part to educate the public!

For more information, read the article abstract: What People Living With Aphasia Think About the Availability of Aphasia Resources

"Just Aphasia Going Through"

This short video is cool!

It gives a synapse of what it is to have aphasia...
Just Aphasia Going Through