Overview:

Many healthcare workers do not know how to adjust their approach to communication when managing patients who have a post-stroke communication disorder. They often have a limited understanding of the different types of communication disorders following stroke, and this can leave both patients and staff frustrated with their interactions.

This problem-based learning package is intended to change these common issues in clinical practice and give people with a post-stroke communication impairment more effective communication partners, to empower them to participate in their own healthcare.

This module is part 1 of a four-part group-learning package. Before starting it, please see the overview page Enhancing communicative success following stroke.

Learning objectives:

• Identify the types of communication impairment that can result from stroke, including:
  • dysarthria
  • aphasia.
• Understand the barriers to communication within the healthcare system.
• Discuss strategies to minimise these communicative barriers:
  
  • environment strategies
  • verbal strategies for listeners and speakers, including use of gesture and augmentative and alternative communication (AAC).
• Implement supported conversation strategies in clinical practice.

Acknowledgement:

This training package was developed by speech pathologist Simone Munro while working in a stroke unit at Monash Health. Originally developed for nursing staff, it has since been extended to allied health and medical healthcare workers. This training tool was funded by the Victorian Stroke Clinical Network.