By guest author: Rochelle Anderson I’m not sure what disability means. Does it mean the inability to be employed as stated by the Social Security Administration? Is it the World Health Organization (WHO) definition as an umbrella term covering impairments, activity limitations, and participation restrictions? For me, disability means the right side of my body is broken,…
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Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, many individuals with aphasia and their caregivers had already felt the isolating effects of aphasia. But with so much of the world currently under orders to stay home, that isolation has only grown evermore present. Managing isolation and the stress and anxiety it brings is no small feat. To help,…
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Virtual Connections is a new free program that offers a series of daily online meetups for individuals with aphasia and their families. The program was co-developed by Lingraphica and the Aphasia Recovery Connection (ARC). To date, hundreds of individuals have taken part in the sessions with many returning throughout the week for additional sessions. If…
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With most of the world under social distancing orders, staying connected to friends and loved ones has become increasingly important. Although older adults are certainly accustomed to picking up the phone to speak to someone, many are still unfamiliar or uncertain about using video chat. Here is a simple guide you can use to help…
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Social Distancing Does Not Mean Social Isolation Many of us find ourselves in uncharted territory with recent measures – like social distancing and lockdowns – taken to combat COVID-19. However, for many people with aphasia, being socially distant is common and the struggle to connect with the outside world is a familiar challenge. The communication…
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COVID-19 has changed every facet of life for the time being. So, it’s important to do everything we can to stay healthy – not just for our own sake but for our loved ones too. Here are four things you can do to avoid illness and slow the spread of coronavirus. 1. Practice social distancing.…
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If you are struggling to communicate with your loved one with aphasia, you are not alone. A recent study by Lingraphica that involved over 700 caregivers of people with aphasia revealed that 93% find their inability to communicate with that person is the single biggest challenge. As we know, aphasia can manifest in several ways…
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Caring for yourself is, perhaps, the most important thing you can do when you’re responsible for caring for a loved one. Without taking the time to focus attention on yourself, it’s easy to become overwhelmed, burned out, and even resentful. An increased stress level is the most common side effect of being a caregiver for…
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As we recently learned, the caregivers of people with aphasia face a variety of unique challenges in addition to the mental, emotional, and physical effects that frequently coincide. Caregivers grapple with stress, emotional well-being, sleep quality, energy level, life outlook, and even physical pain or discomfort. They also report worsening relationships with friends, people in…
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We’ve all been there. You are with your loved one (who has aphasia) and encounter someone who isn’t familiar with the condition and struggles with the interaction. These encounters can be awkward, lead to frustration, or even cause your loved one to retreat from social situations. There are, however, effective ways to turn this into…
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