World Aphasia

Thursday, March 8, 2012

Life after a stroke

The harder you work during rehabilitation, the better your chances of significant recovery after a stroke.
THERE are many questions that come to the minds of stroke victims and their caregivers. Some people view a stroke negatively, whilst others take up the challenge of recovery and restoration of function as much as is possible.
Importantly, the stroke victim’s attitude has a substantial influence on recovery.
The care of stroke patients requires a multidisciplinary approach. The ideal is for all stroke patients to be managed in a stroke unit, which is a dedicated unit in the hospital that only manages strokes. Such a unit would be staffed by neurologists, geriatricians, general physicians with an interest in stroke, trained nurses, physiotherapists, occupational therapists and speech therapists. It would also include neurosurgeons, social workers and dietitians.

The extent of recovery of motor functions is often influenced by the extent of compliance with the rehabilitation plan.

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Sudbury woman files negligence lawsuit

SUDBURY —

A Sudbury nursing home resident has filed a lawsuit against the home and its owner, alleging negligence in hiring a man she said sexually assaulted her in 2009.
Ruby McDonough, 63, through her lawyer, Harold Levine, filed the lawsuit in Middlesex Superior Court against the Sudbury Pines Extended Care Center and its owner, Roberta C. Henderson.
Henderson was served the suit yesterday.
In February 2009, McDonough accused then-Sudbury-Pines-employee Kofi Agana of sexually assaulting her.
McDonough suffers from expressive aphasia, a condition that limits her ability to speak or communicate.
Agana, 50, was found not guilty last year in Framingham District Court of the sexual assault after a two-day trial.
“Our focus is on accountability,” said Levine. “For us, it’s about finding out who, how and why? In particular, we want to find out how Mr. Agana had access to Ms. McDonough. From what I understand, he was here illegally, yet he was licensed, he was hired and he was supervised.”

USC stroke trial gives hope to stroke victims with speech impairment

COLUMBIA, SC (WACH) -- A USC professor and speech pathologist is conducting a stroke trial for people who have impaired speech after experiencing a stroke.

Internationally known speech pathologist Dr. Julius Fridriksson will conduct a study looking into the effectiveness of using electrode stimulation of the brain.

According to Fridriksson, the voltage used during the study is applied to the scalp and is low enough that patients will not feel it.

Mark Cox, one of Fridriksson's patients. will participate in the upcoming trial.

Cox is a retired Airforce Liutenant Colonel and Deputy Commander. The father of three was set to deploy to Afghanistan, but then he had a stroke.

According to Fridriksson, Cox has Aphasia resulting from his stroke, which causes him to have impaired speech.

"I would not have gotten through the Aphasia without Robyn, my wife. I am hard headed. She set me straight and made me do it," said Cox.

Annie Hill, another participant in the trial, also had a stroke, which caused impaired speech.........................

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Monday, January 16, 2012

10 Things to Know About Aphasia

If a stroke has left you with lingering language problems, called aphasia, you might recover some limited abilities on your own. However, you'll probably need speech-language therapy for the best possible improvement. Fortunately, experts know more today than ever before about treating aphasia effectively. Here are 10 essential facts about the most up-to-date treatment strategies....Next