{"id":8291,"date":"2019-07-17T06:07:12","date_gmt":"2019-07-17T06:07:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/simplyhealth.today\/?p=8291"},"modified":"2021-04-20T20:40:13","modified_gmt":"2021-04-20T20:40:13","slug":"14-tips-to-treat-anomia-at-home","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/simplyhealth.today\/14-tips-to-treat-anomia-at-home\/","title":{"rendered":"14 Tips to Treat Anomia at Home"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The recommended treatment for aphasia, either at home or at a clinic is usually based on a course or program of speech and language therapy, either delivered by a professional or a family member or carer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sometimes, in rare cases, aphasia has been known to improve on its own without any significant form of treatment. When treatment is necessary, it can be carried out by a speech and language therapist (SLT) who may be able to visit you at home. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When you leave the hospital, an SLT should be made available to people suffering from anomia through something like a community rehab team. In the event of treating anomia at home after a stroke, an early support discharge team might be appointed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whilst there is always speech and language clinics that people can attend, it\u2019s a good idea for patients to try and access these services at home, where they feel safest and most secure.

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Speech & language therapy (intensive)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

For people with recovering from illness and injury <\/a>that has led to the development of aphasia, speech and language therapy aims to help them restore as much of their speech and language as possible, it also aims to help them communicate to the best of their ability and to help them find alternative ways of communicating too. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

An intensive home course of speech and language therapy can also provide information to patients and their relatives or carers about aphasia, but how and where the therapy is carried out will depend entirely on a person\u2019s individual circumstances. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

An intensive course of speech and language therapy that may be recommended could involve a good number of sessions to be given in a shorter period of time. As this can be tiring and expensive, this might not be a viable option for some people. It is a great way of providing quick and effective rehabilitation though,<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

2. Speech & language therapy (less intensive)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

For some people with tighter budgets or other circumstantial restraints, a shorter and less intensive course of speech and language therapy may be recommended. This less intensive form of therapy <\/a>may be individual sessions at home or done in groups. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It could also involve the use of technology such as computer programs or apps, which can, of course, be used at home as and when it is deemed appropriate for a person to do so, or when they are feeling capable of doing this. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the people who find themselves living with aphasia as a result of suffering a stroke, the most rapid and noticeable changes are early on in the weeks and months that follow the stroke. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This said high-intensity courses with immediacy is not always necessary as it is true that improvements can continue to be seen many years after the stroke. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In some cases, improvements may still be seen some decades after the stroke has occurred.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

3. \tAssessment<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The treatment a person can expect to receive at home for anomia will depend entirely on their general level of health, as well as on any of the difficulties they have with their speech, language or social skills. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

An assessment is incredibly important for anyone with anomia as this will typically be carried out before therapy begins, meaning that the therapist <\/a>can identify the specific aspects of language causing the most difficulty and tailor the rehabilitation accordingly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A good speech and language therapist will talk to the patient, their carers and their family to try to determine whether the problems are related to understanding language or if the problems are more concerned with the person expressing themselves. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The involvement of carers and families is vitally important at this stage as it is likely that it will be they who continue to look after the person around the clock, and ultimately they will assist with treating anomia at home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

4. \tSpeech and language therapy techniques<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The specific techniques used in the therapy sessions, as well as the general aims of the treatment<\/a>,\u00a0 will depend entirely on each person’s circumstances. Some examples for treating anomia at home, depending on individual circumstances might include treating someone that has difficulty understanding words. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For this problem, an SLT may ask a person to carry out simple tasks such as matching words to pictures or sorting words by their meaning. This can be rehearsed and followed up at home. The aim of these tasks is simply to improve a person\u2019s ability to be able to remember certain meanings and then to link these meanings with other words. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A person that finds they have difficulty expressing themselves, may be required to practice naming pictures or to judge whether certain words sound like they rhyme. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

With any and all of these techniques, the follow-up and revision of the tasks at home, away from the eyes and guidance of the SLT, will be what makes the difference in a person’s recovery and rehabilitation.

<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

5. \tAlternative methods of communication<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Just as important as the rehabilitation of the speech for a person with anomia<\/a>, is the exploration of alternative options, such as finding different ways for a person to communicate with the people around them and the people they encounter in the wider world. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A speech and language therapist may help to develop alternatives to talking, such as using familiar gestures, writing, drawing or the use of bespoke communication charts. Communication charts, which may have different names depending on where you are in the world, are large grids containing letters, words or pictures. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

These chats allow someone with aphasia to communicate by simply pointing at the word or the letter to indicate what they want to say. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For some people, the use of technology at home can be vital in the treatment of anomia, as there are specially designed electronic devices, such as voice output communication aids which may be useful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

6. \tCommunicating with a person with aphasia at home<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If you happen to live with or care for a person with aphasia<\/a>, then you may be unsure about the best way to communicate with them at home. Some of the best forms of communication can actually help to treat a person with anomia at home. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

These methods include things like allowing the person plenty of time to respond to a command or a question. If a person with aphasia feels pressured to speak or rushed, they may become unnecessarily anxious, which could affect their ability to communicate even further. It is a good idea to use short and uncomplicated sentences, whilst avoiding asking any open-ended questions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Closed questions that only have a yes or no answer are the right way to question someone with anomia. To avoid frustration, it is a good idea to steer clear of attempting to finish a person’s sentences or to correct any errors in their language as this has the potential to cause resentment and frustration for the person with aphasia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

7. \tOngoing research<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

There is a good deal of research that is currently being carried out with a view to studying whether other treatments could benefit people with aphasia. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The research, which aims to make it easier to treat things like anomia at home, includes behavioral therapies or practice such as the use of apps to help people gain large amounts of repetitive practice on certain language tasks, and the employment of electrical brain stimulation <\/a>techniques, which include things like transcranial direct current stimulation. During this procedure, a small electrical current is passed through the scalp and on into the brain with the aim being to help boost the performance of language tasks. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Given that anomia is a complex condition and that methods to treat it at home are preferred by patients and their families, as much research into these areas as possible is needed, in order to hone the skill of carers and relatives when it comes to treating at home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

8. \tAdvice for carers<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The challenge of caring for a loved one, a relative or a friend with anomia can be a daunting and challenging prospect for the toughest and most resilient of individuals, especially during those first few months of the troublesome symptoms <\/a>starting. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

People with anomia often have very complex and far-reaching needs, meaning that their condition can make them prone to violent mood swings and even episodes of uncharacteristic and challenging behavior. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you find yourself caring for someone with anomia, then you may find it useful to reach out to other people in the same situation, as sharing anecdotes and advice on the various ways that people try to treat anomia at home could provide you with the vital link for treating your loved one in the best possible way. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Treating someone with anomia at home can be beneficial for all parties, but it isn\u2019t ever likely to be easy, which is why it is a great idea to call on the services provided by speech and language therapists whenever and wherever that help is available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\r\n

<\/div>