New aphasia training program to boost communication

A new training program to be launched at The Prince Charles Hospital (TPCH) next month will help boost staff awareness of aphasia, a common language disorder which often presents following injury to the language centre of the brain.

The Communication Participation Together program, developed by a team of speech pathologists, will provide staff with important knowledge to significantly improve the experience of persons with aphasia and their family members.

The online program will focus on areas such as what is aphasia, how aphasia affects communication and communication partner training.

TPCH Senior Speech Pathologist, Pip Tindall, said that patients with aphasia can experience significant communication difficulties which can impact on their hospital journey.

“Patients with aphasia can often have trouble speaking, especially finding the right word; reading and writing; and understanding spoken language which can make it very challenging when trying to interact with different staff throughout the hospital,” Pip said.

“It can be very frustrating and upsetting for patients when staff don’t understand what they are saying, especially when trying to ask questions about their condition.

“Our new program aims to increase the knowledge and skills of staff to help them overcome communication barriers, promote engagement in decision making and empower the patient to participate and understand their condition.

“It’s about making staff feel more confident in their communication efforts with patients living with aphasia so patients feel more comfortable.”

Tips for communicating with a person with aphasia:

A – Ask simple, direct questions

P – Provide many ways to help communicate

H – Help to communicate if asked

A – Acknowledge their frustration

S – Speak clearly, slowly and pause

I – If you don’t understand – say so

A – Allow extra time