APHASIA

Aphasia may be mild or severe. The person may have trouble finding the right word or understanding complex conversations. Global aphasia, limits the person’s ability to communicate. The person does not participate in or understand. This is a great concern of mine from the position of the nurse and the patient. So many people are limited in this area of understanding the spoken word, recalling the words to say or saying the word they really want to say. They often become socially isolated. It does not always mean they can not. They just need more time. They need social interaction with people to talk to that has time to help understand what they want to say. I write this because I worked with the stroke patient and then I was the patient. I know how hard it was to communicate and still is if it is about a topic I haven’t discussed or words that I haven’t readily spoken.  Being in a large crowd without a close friend or family member was the hardest first step.         Gay Nell Olive http://www.strokeassociation.org/STROKEORG/LifeAfterStroke/RegainingIndependence/CommunicationChallenges/Types-of-Aphasia_UCM_310096_Article.jsp