1. Take Post-Stroke Speech Recovery One Day at a Time
Loss of speech after a stroke is known as expressive aphasia. In addition, a stroke victim may or may not comprehend communication directed toward him, which is known as receptive aphasia. Each stroke survivor is different in the extent of damage to the brain they suffer and specifically to the speech center. At the outset, the post-stroke patient will likely be angry and frustrated by the lack of ability to speak. It's important to communicate to him that if he's not suffering from receptive aphasia, then at least some improvement is likely, but it will just take time.
2. Engage a Speech Therapist Quickly
Most likely, a hospital patient's neurological team will order what is known as a "speech consult." This means that a speech therapist will do an assessment of your loved one to determine the level of communication impairment. If your loved one's doctor is not talking about this issue soon after a stroke, don't be afraid to bring up the topic and ask that a speech therapist become involved immediately.
3. Understand that Frustration and Anger Are Normal Responses
Having a stroke is a frightening event and the resulting aftermath will nearly always involve speech problems if the stroke happened in the brain's left hemisphere. The sudden lack of speaking ability is a scary and frustrating experience and these feelings often turn to anger at the difficulty in finding the right words and making the right sounds. Actual "control" over speech problems is at the heart of the issue, as there is little control possible. The stroke victim, as well as the family, must understand that a long road lies ahead, but with a team effort, the stroke sufferer is likely to regain at least some speaking ability, and depending on many factors, perhaps all of it
4. Use Therapeutic Techniques to Help With Communication
At first, if a stroke victim has lost all ability to speak, a simple "communication board" with pictures of simple needs can be used. Hospitals have these on hand, but once back at home, it's easy to for a caregiver to make one with basic pictures or drawings of needs such as the toilet, food or even a hug. Hand signals are helpful for families to use with the person, while simultaneously clearly stating the word that a person may be searching for. As a person regains some speech, it's important to allow him or her enough time to find the words. Stay positive and encouraging without interrupting and the person's speech progress, as well as overall attitude, will improve more quickly.
