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
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