Strokes (commonly referred to as strokes) often result in a variety of functional impairments, one of which is aphasia. Most patients with post-stroke aphasia have difficulty communicating verbally but can still use other methods to express their wishes and feelings. In addition, although the patient has speech defects, most of them have normal intelligence and can hear or understand what is said, so it is important to speak naturally and easily in front of the patient and to use careful language, not to exaggerate, ridicule or show pity with tears. Therefore, it is important that the family and people around the stroke patient have some knowledge and skills of communication, not only to improve the patient’s speech, but also to accomplish the functional communication necessary for everyday life.
Language can be relearned, but progress is slow and it is important to give the patient confidence and encouragement. Doctors and speech therapists in rehabilitation medicine can provide help and advice, and much can be accomplished in the home environment. During daily conversations, face the patient, concentrate on what he or she is saying and try to understand what he or she is trying to say. If he/she is worried or anxious, the situation will be worse. Usually speak to him/her at a normal adult level and do not stop if he/she answers incorrectly. In the early stages, it is important not to practice speaking for too long, as trying to do what seems impossible can make the patient bored. Encourage the patient to use a variety of forms of communication, such as gesturing, writing or drawing, using communication boards and communication books, until the patient’s speech begins to improve. Once the patient is able to speak a little, try to get him to speak as much as possible and stimulate his interest by various means, such as reading aloud, listening to the radio, watching TV, playing games, etc.
If the patient can only say “yes” or “no,” he can be brought into the conversation by answering only “yes” or “no” questions. questions to bring him into the conversation. Set aside time each day to learn the language and look for opportunities to practice what has been learned, including conversations, asking questions, allowing time to find words, and helping only when bored or stumped. Early on, for basic needs, practice the key words of each sentence or phrase first. Speech practice is done facing the patient and reading the words and phrases that he finds difficult so that he can understand how the words are formed. A tape recorder or language learning machine can be used as a language training aid. When performing various functional training exercises, use more instructional words or have the patient read the content silently to the rhythm of the exercise.
The following are some of the methods of home language training and related matters.
1. Increase the daily vocabulary.
First, make them choose nouns. Some of the following aids are very useful.
(1) Cut out pictures from newspapers or books that are used every day and ask the patient to name the objects in the pictures, or put words with the names of the objects on the pictures.
(2) Point out the names of commonly used objects around you.
(3) Sing a song that the stroke patient used to like and encourage him to sing it out loud.
(4) Categorize pictures of the same type. For example, furniture: tables, chairs, bookcases.
(5) Practice counting and numeration.
(6) Encourage him to write out the names of the pictures or objects in the room with simple words or phrases.
2. As vocabulary increases, intervene with verbs or auxiliary parts of sentences and encourage the patient to learn longer sentences.
(1) Answer slightly complex questions with more than “yes, no”.
(2) Ask the patient to read out instructions, which should be slow and simple, and use gestures to reinforce the meaning of words.
(3) Keep a diary with short content and correct language.
3. Before speech training, check the following areas for attention.
(1) Dental problems: whether there is serious damage, or mutilation. Whether there are dentures. If necessary, go to the dentist.
(2) Hearing: If a patient has difficulty hearing, it is recommended to buy a suitable hearing aid.
(3) Vision: Make sure the patient can see properly, sometimes glasses are needed.