After experiencing a stroke, many people experience both physical disability and difficulty speaking. For a long time, it was assumed that this was because when blood and oxygen flow to the brain was impaired, the region of the brain that controls speech and the ability to understand language was damaged to some degree. And while this is true, the severity of this outcome can be impacted by other factors, too.
Researchers are beginning to understand that speech and understanding issues can be made worse when the connections between different parts of the brain are damaged, too. This is both good and bad news for stroke victims. For one, it implies that more damage was done to the brain in some cases than originally may have been thought. However, despite this piece of bad news, it also implies that if a connection is the main problem, then there are instances when another connection can be used, or “rewired,” if you will, to help a stroke victim regain partial understanding of language. Scientists used a new type of MRI technology called MRI Diffusion Tensor Imaging to help them access visual data about how the brain’s different connection networks function after a stroke. 44 patients were examined in this study.
When a stroke victim loses their ability to speak and understand language, the phenomenon is known as aphasia. This can happen with both audible and written language, and it can make an otherwise manageable disability in a stroke victim become far more difficulty, both for them and their caregiver. In-home care can help to offset some of the problems that this may create for a family, but it’s not a perfect solution. A rigorous amount of therapy, counseling, and medical treatment is needed to help stroke victims on their path to recovery, and many will never fully recover, remaining disabled for the rest of their lives. A patient and loving outlook is needed if you have a loved one that has suffered from a stroke.
Understanding is also needed. Not only do you need to be understanding of your loved one’s new disabilities, but you also need to have a basic understanding of why those disabilities are there, and what you can do to help alleviate them, if anything. There has been a lot of big gains in the field of stroke understanding, treatment, and prevention, but there is still a long way to go before an in depth way of helping all stroke victims is possible. You don’t need to be a brain surgeon or a geriatric specialist, but knowing the basics can help you to ask the right questions and pursue the right care for your elderly loved one as you go about balancing their senior care and medical treatment.
When aphasia occurs, it can be very difficult for you to communicate with your loved one, and it can be equally difficult for them to understand what has happened to them. Regardless of the problems that you and your family face, having a professional in-home care specialist on your side, even if it is only once in a while, can be a big help toward helping them to feel loved and supported while they go through this.
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