Soundsgood

ADULT CARE

Stroke/ Brain Injury/ Other neurological conditions

A stroke is a "brain attack". It occurs when blood supply to some part of the brain reduces or cuts off. When this happens, brain cells in that region are deprived of oxygen and begin to die. Due to this, all the bodily functions controlled by that area of the brain are disturbed/ lost. How a person is affected by stroke depends on which part of the brain has been damaged and what is the severity of the brain damage. For example, a minor stroke may only have minor problems such as temporary weakness of an arm or leg. Larger strokes cause paralysis on one side of the body or loss of speech and difficulty in eating food/ swallowing.

Complete loss of speech or difficulty in communicating or unclear speech, are commonly seen in cases of Stroke, Brain injury due to trauma, Parkinsonism, Multiple Sclerosis, Tumours and other neuro-degenerative conditions.

Common questions about Stroke/ Brain Injury/ Other neurological conditions:

1. How long does it take to recover?

Recovery depends on many different factors: where in the brain has the stroke occurred, how much of the brain was affected, the patient’s motivation, caregiver support, and rehabilitation. The most rapid recovery usually occurs during the first four to five months after stroke, but some stroke survivors continue to recover into the first and second year post-stroke. It is crucial to begin speech, language and swallowing therapy at the earliest in order to fasten and strengthen the recovery process.

2. Why does my loved one need therapy? Can’t medicines help?

Your loved one will be prescribed medicines for post-stroke care and to prevent future strokes. Medicines aid in the recovery and cannot replace speech, language and swallowing rehabilitation/ therapy. Therapy is extremely important to maximise recovery and to bring your loved one as close to his/ her pre-stroke independent state.

3. What does Speech, language and swallowing rehabilitation comprise of?

Rehabilitation programs at Sounds Good Clinic are designed according to the particular needs of the patient. These programs have a scientific basis and emphasize on functional activities to bring about effective recovery and ease in day-to-day communication. Some of the areas typically addressed include:

Language Comprehension and Expression
Mental Skills (attention, memory, analysis, planning, organizational skills, problem solving, logical reasoning, processing speed, word finding abilities, visuo-spatial abilities etc)
Breathing, voicing, clarity, oral muscle strengthening, coordination of oral movements for speaking / swallowing.

4. How can family members help in the recovery process?

Allow the person with stroke/ brain injury/ any neurological communication disorder plenty of time to respond when talking with them.
Use short simple sentences during conversations with them.
Avoid quick jumping from one topic to another.
Keep distractions to a minimum (eg.: switch off television or reduce background noise) when talking with them.
Involve them in discussions as much as possible, do not isolate them due to their lack of communication skills.
Regular and consistent follow up of all the activities and exercises suggested by the Speech Language pathologist