Stroke Recovery: Speech and Communication
Stroke Recovery: Speech and Communication
Stroke can cause problems with speaking, finding and understanding words, memory, and other communication issues. Hear from stroke survivors, caregivers, and clinical experts about how rehabilitation and coping strategies can help improve speech and communication issues both in the hospital and at home.
This program, developed in partnership with American Heart Association and The Wellness Network, is part of the HeartCare Channel library of award-winning video education. The HeartCare Channel library is available to patients 24/7, across the point of care. Programming is compliant with nationally recognized standards of care and clinical guidelines, is easily integrated into clinical workflow and aligns with health system’s goals to improve patient satisfaction and compliance initiatives.
Learn more about how to include this resource as part of your patient education offering at www.heartcarechannel.com or call 1-888-219-4678.
Content
9.009 -> Mary Harris was away
on a business trip
11.645 -> when she got a call
that her husband, Reed,
14.047 -> had experienced a stroke.
Before boarding a plane
18.018 -> to return home she was told
her husband had no movement
20.621 -> on his right side.
22.956 -> [Mary Harris] When I got
to the hospital what I realized
25.125 -> is the physical component
and impact of the stroke
28.228 -> was really only part
of the equation.
31.231 -> I think the reality of
his whole communication center
35.702 -> being wiped out by the stroke
became really clear.
38.805 -> Reed has a communication deficit
known as aphasia.
42.309 -> Survivors can have
expressive aphasia,
44.745 -> which means they know
what to say but have trouble
47.047 -> saying it
and finding the right words.
49.85 -> Receptive aphasia is trouble
understanding what others say.
54.187 -> Those with global aphasia
experience both expressive
57.824 -> and receptive aphasia
at the same time.
60.527 -> [Mary Harris] His neurologist
had let me know
63.23 -> it was a massive stroke and that
we were dealing with something
67.534 -> called global aphasia.
And I was thinking to myself
70.804 -> "Gosh, we know what it is
now we can deal with that."
74.574 -> That was eight years ago.
76.476 -> [Reed Harris] 8 years ago
very hard.
78.578 -> Tiny tiny progress.
82.616 -> Patience, patience
a lot of patience. [laughs]
86.219 -> For weeks or months
after a stroke you can expect
89.389 -> some degree
of spontaneous recovery,
92.092 -> meaning improvements
that occur on their own.
95.028 -> [Aneesha Virani, PhD] The degree
of spontaneous recovery
96.83 -> would really depend
upon the location of the stroke,
99.967 -> the severity of the stroke, and
just like how physical deficits
105.138 -> improve one can expect
communication
107.975 -> and cognitive deficits
to improve as well.
110.544 -> Some survivors with
communication challenges
113.38 -> see continued improvement
even years after their stroke.
117.284 -> [Mary Harris] We started
with workbooks
119.686 -> and he started literally
at the kindergarten level.
123.223 -> Today he's at the 7th
or 8th grade level.
127.594 -> The reality is he continues
to improve
131.632 -> even 9 years out
from his stroke.
135.369 -> [Aneesha Virani, PhD]
It is really the caregivers
136.837 -> and the family members
who help the patient
139.639 -> or the stroke survivor
to transition these skills
143.577 -> learned in therapy
to their natural setting.
146.713 -> They're also the ones
who can come back and provide
150.517 -> the therapists with feedback
on what have been
153.653 -> the barriers for the patient.
155.922 -> While Reed has global aphasia
survivors may experience
159.092 -> a range of other
communication deficits as well.
162.662 -> [Sandy McGaffigan, MD] A person
who has suffered a stroke
163.964 -> frequently experiences trouble
with communication
167.1 -> which varies depending
upon the location and severity
170.17 -> of the stroke. They often
have dysarthria, or slurring
174.975 -> of their speech due to weakness
of the muscles of articulation,
179.012 -> the mouth and the tongue.
They may have apraxia,
182.416 -> trouble coordinating
and planning speech.
185.819 -> They may have trouble focusing,
due to impairment of attention,
190.157 -> trouble following along
in a conversation.
193.36 -> They may have trouble
with their memory.
196.129 -> Short-term memory
making it difficult for them
198.565 -> to remember a conversation
they just had a few minutes ago.
201.701 -> Survivors may also have
difficulty swallowing...
205.405 -> which is known as dysphagia.
In addition, it's not unusual
210.343 -> for stroke survivors
to have trouble
212.212 -> following written directions,
paying bills,
214.915 -> using a computer
or reading for pleasure.
218.785 -> [Sandy McGaffigan, MD]
Cognitive deficits may include
220.854 -> trouble with attention or focus,
trouble with short-term memory,
225.592 -> trouble with communication or
what we call language deficits.
229.863 -> They may have trouble
with visual perception,
233.7 -> awareness of things and space
around them or trouble
236.803 -> with judgement and reasoning
238.405 -> that we call
executive dysfunction.
241.007 -> Regardless of the type
of communication challenge,
243.977 -> you can help survivors
in the hospital and at home by:
247.681 -> - Minimizing room noise
- Avoiding multiple
250.317 -> conversations when
several people are there
253.019 -> - Turning off TVs, radios,
and other audio distractions
257.19 -> - Having the survivor's
attention when speaking
259.86 -> so they don't miss
the first few words
262.229 -> and speaking slowly.
264.898 -> When a survivor returns home,
setting up a daily routine
268.668 -> can be beneficial,
as Reed and Mary Harris learned.
272.005 -> [Mary Harris] I knew he needed
a routine, and more importantly
275.609 -> that he needed a purpose. One
of those routines was walking
279.546 -> with a group of friends
4 to 5 days a week
283.183 -> and it got him out of the house
and it gave him a purpose.
288.321 -> When the cakes come out, we need
to put them on a wire rack...
293.627 -> Never assume the survivor
can't understand you or others.
296.229 -> Treat them like a mature adult.
298.865 -> [Mary Harris] One of the things
that we found
300.901 -> is that many people spoke
very loudly to Reed.
304.504 -> In fact he even mentioned to me,
307.24 -> "Do you think people
think I can't hear?"
309.342 -> Encourage independence.
311.311 -> [Mary Harris] That ability
to have some freedom
313.513 -> and do things on his own
was critical.
316.016 -> [Reed Harris] Ellen, bye bye...
318.485 -> Spending time
with others is also
320.353 -> an important part of recovery.
322.455 -> [Mary Harris] Our life today
is different
324.558 -> than what
we may have envisioned.
327.06 -> Certainly we wouldn't have
wished for a stroke
330.53 -> to have happened to us.
But I can tell you
332.966 -> there's a good side to this.
I think our lives are richer,
336.703 -> more full and
definitely more meaningful today
340.207 -> than they were 9 years ago.
342.242 -> [Reed Harris] Life is good!
346.246 -> To learn more about
common emotional changes
348.748 -> in stroke survivors, watch
Stroke Recovery:
351.384 -> Emotional and
Behavioral Changes.
Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ry3ncanAZ1s