Aphasia in Scotland Scoping Report (PDF, 579K, 1min 23secs)
Aphasia in Scotland Summary of Key Findings (PDF, 156K, 22secs)
This is a research project carried out by the Centre for Integrated Healthcare Research
About Aphasia
Aphasia is a condition which affects the speech, language and communication skills of people after they have experienced brain damage. One of the most common sources of such damage in adults is stroke and about a quarter of people who have strokes also have aphasia. For many of these their aphasia can have a serious, pervasive and long lasting impact on the individual, on their families and on those in their immediate environment.
Although the development of services for those with stroke has been a health priority in Scotland over recent years, relatively little is known about the needs of people with aphasia.
Helen - wife of a person with aphasia
It’s just changed our lives you know…I do everything and that upsets Duncan because he can’t…people don’t give him a chance to speak and there was one man and he was so rude to him, shouting at him. Duncan was sat in Marks & Spencer, and he was sat near the door and this man didn’t close the door and it was very cold and he tried to tell him “the door, the door” and the man just stood there and shouted at him, and then I went in Duncan said “That man… shout shout shout shout!”
So I went up to him and I said “Did you shout at my husband?”
“Yes” he said, “ he didn’t say please or thank you to me so I wasn’t shutting the door.” and I stood and I explained to him and he was still shouting at me.
And I said “ you don’t understand do you, my husband can’t speak”
And his wife came up and apologised, and I said “He’s so rude” I said, “I am trying to explain to him about the stroke and he didn’t want to know”. And I think that’s what you find… [Duncan nods in agreement]
Findings
There are four main findings from this study. They are presented in this report as specific to people with aphasia. In practice, of course, many of the areas reported below are equally relevant for people with other chronic conditions and for other people with communication support needs. These findings have been discussed in outline with our Experienced Service Users Group