Communication

The type of rehabilitation and support systems a survivor receives at discharge can strongly influence health outcomes and recovery. In this, the first part of a two-part series on stroke rehab, we offer guidance for the decision-making process required when it’s time to leave the hospital.

Mary and Reed Harris have been partners in Reed’s stroke recovery for nearly ten years. Personal relationships rely on communication so Reed’s global aphasia was met with more than a few challenges. They share their story, tips and advice to others for living with the effects of aphasia day-to-day.

Speech language pathologist Beth Crawford offers practical tips for families living with different forms of post-stroke aphasia.

For Phyllis Weiss, a 65-year-old survivor from Winthrop Harbor, Illinois, each sound she painstakingly — but patiently — forms is a triumph. In her quiet, halting delivery is an underlying strength and vitality. Qualities that carried her through an entire year of silence.

Music lights up the whole brain, “like the sky during a fireworks display,” said Kyle Wilhelm, MA, MTBC in the Music Therapy Services department of West Music. This seems to bring delight as many survivors experience firsthand.

Getting back to traveling can give families dealing with stroke a fresh perspective by going with others who share similar challenges. While traveling post-stroke can be challenging, going with a group can offer “a safe place to explore new boundaries for both the caregiver and the survivor,” said cruiser Laura Latham.

Now, more than ever technology is becoming an integral part of speech-language therapy. And because of limitations to insurance coverage for speech therapy, its importance is likely to increase.

I’ve learned that every person’s journey is different. When I realized that my recovery was not going to happen overnight, I cried myself to sleep for a month. After that, I was determined to make a "new normal."

At some point during their recovery, stroke survivors and caregivers realize that the world doesn’t reshape itself to fit their needs. Aphasia may have to be worked around, despite the best efforts of survivors and speech-language pathologists.

Non-invasive brain stimulation may help stroke survivors recover speech and language function, according to research in the American Heart Association, journal Stroke.

It took five years after his stroke before Doris' father met another survivor with aphasia.