|
|
 |
A. On Communicating
- Talk to the individual as you would to other adults. Address him or her directly and keep the conversation at an adult level.
- Avoid speaking in long sentences. Instead use concise sentences and slow down your rate of speech. Unless the person has hearing problems, you don't have to shout or raise your voice.
- When misunderstanding occurs, paraphrase or repeat more simply.
- Avoid speaking in behalf of the person. If it cannot be avoided, ask for the individual's permission.
- When talking to the person, try to avoid distractions and too much noise. Turn off the TV or radio and minimize movement in the environment.
- Maintain eye contact when speaking to the person and speak clearly.
- Supplement the communication interaction with the use of gestures and facial expressions.
- Write down key words from your message, or even draw a picture, if it will help in getting the message across. Have pencil and paper always at hand.
- Explain new items heard or seen on TV, radio, and newspapers if the person has difficulty understanding them.
- Be patient and allow the person enough time to respond.
- Keep the conversation focused on one topic at a time. Change topics gradually and call the person's attention.
- Make the conversation a pleasant and stimulating exchange instead of approaching it as a test or therapy.
- Work closely with the speech pathologist to be able to implement the home program effectively. Inform him or her about strategies that have forked for you and your loved one.
- Give lots of feedback and encouragement. Your loved one needs to be reassured that he is doing alright.
- Watch for fatigue. Signs of fatigue may include perseveration (repetition of a response that is no longer appropriate to the question) and shortened attention span. This may signal the need for a brief rest or change of subject or activity.
B. On Daily Activities
- Establish a structure schedule of activities everyday to provide a sense of security and consistency.
- Make good use of a date book to help your loved one remember and keep important dates and appointments.
- Focus on what your loved one can do now instead of insisting on reclaiming what has been lost. Find out ways to compensate.
- Encourage the person to engage in favorite activities. Try compensatory measure or substitutions if the activity is now difficult or impossible.
- Although it is important to help the person to be self-sufficient as much as possible, try to recognize when it is sensible to give help or when to encourage independence.
- Make available chances to make decisions, offer comments, and communicate thoughts and feelings.
- It might be a good idea for our loved one to always carry an identification card that includes his or her address, phone number, and person to notify in case of emergency.
- At the beginning, the person with aphasia might not wish to receive visitors until he has adjusted to his new condition. Gradually, however, encourage him to engage in social interactions.
- Although well meaning family and friends may want to visit, try to limit the number of visitors to only one or two persons maximum because your loved one may have greater difficulty communicating with more that one person at a time. It would be prudent to keep visits short as the effort to communicate can be very tiring for your loved one with aphasia.
C. On Caregiving
- You must also remember to take care of yourself to be able to sustain the energy to keep doing the things that are important.
- Allow others to help. Your other relatives and friends are willing to assist if given the chance.
- Make time to share your feelings to people who are close to you.
- Talk to people who have had similar experiences. Join a support group in your area or help form one.
|
|
|
|
Make a Donation