Every June is Aphasia Awareness Month, which is a condition millions of people struggle with every day. Aphasia can be a result of a stroke or other changes in how the brain functions. If seniors are living with aphasia, their family members need to know as much as possible about the condition so they can continue to offer them support. Senior home care providers can help with managing daily activities and finding ways to maintain quality of life, even with aphasia.
Types of Aphasia Seniors Might Experience
Aphasia affects communication and language skills, by making it difficult for people to speak, read, write, or understand language depending on which part of the brain is injured or having trouble functioning. Non-fluent aphasia affects speech output, including halting speech and difficulty forming sounds. Fluent aphasia affects understanding what words mean when they’re spoken. There are multiple types of aphasia, including some that are a mix of fluent and non-fluent types.
What Causes Aphasia?
So many different issues can affect how the brain functions. Injuries, like a traumatic brain injury from an accident, or a stroke could cause aphasia. Sometimes aphasia is also associated with different types of dementia. Brain tumors, brain infections, or even inflammation in the brain can also cause aphasia. While aphasia can be permanent for many people, it can also be temporary after a stroke or even a severe migraine.
Aphasia and Cognitive Health
A common misconception is that people with aphasia have cognitive issues, including lack of memory or inability to think or solve problems. The reality is that it is primarily a communication issue because the brain is having more trouble processing language. Many people with aphasia don’t experience cognitive defects, but can become frustrated because of communication issues.
Treating Aphasia
Treating aphasia depends on the specific areas of the brain affected and the type of injury involved. Medical providers can give families a detailed treatment plan to help them understand what the goals of treatment are and how it may progress. Seniors with aphasia may work with speech therapists to find new ways to communicate, for instance. They may also take medications or undergo other types of treatment, depending on whether they’re expected to recover from aphasia.
Getting Extra Help for Seniors
While seniors deal with the changes aphasia brings, home care services can offer a lot of support. They can help seniors to adapt their routines to make time for therapy appointments, for instance. Senior home care providers can also assist with transportation needs, assist with communication at appointments, and keep seniors company. As seniors learn new ways to communicate, like using gestures or even electronic devices to communicate, home care providers can practice with them to help them become more confident.
Aphasia is a complicated health issue to manage. Seniors benefit from learning more about the condition and finding help from a variety of resources, like therapists and senior home care providers, as they find new ways to communicate with the world around them.
If you or an aging loved one are considering senior home care in Oak Brook, IL, please contact the caring staff at Suburban Home Care today at (630) 964-9000.
There are several great reasons why Suburban Home Care® should be your choice for quality homecare. All of our Certified Nursing Assistants and Home Health Aides are screened, trained, bonded and insured.
Every family needs to be aware that almost every Homeowner’s insurance policy specifically excludes anyone working within your home. If the person you hire becomes injured while working for you, you will become personally responsible for all of their medical bills. This has left several families very vulnerable when their caregiver injured themselves at their home.
The potential to lose everything you have worked so hard to achieve seems an unnecessary risk. Every one of Suburban Home Care®’s employees are completely covered by insurance so you and your loved ones can relax knowing that if something unforeseen happens to your caregiver, they are completely covered by insurance.
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