Aphasia Patients Given New Lease on Life

Aphasia Patients Given New Lease on Life

A gavel is predominantly associated with a court room, but a new ‘Gavel Club’ for people dealing with aphasia is doing wonders for improving their language and communication skills.

Aphasia is a communication disorder that occurs when the blood supply to the brain is interrupted; causing damage to the language centres on the left side of the brain.

And speech therapist Melissa Brazier says it makes those affected feel lost.

“Best way to describe it is if I were to drop you in Russia, you know where you are, but not how to communicate.”

The six week course puts patients through a series of tasks from public speaking and evaluation of speeches, to telling the joke of the day.

They discuss a variety of topics; from the election to the Scottish independence, and all patients are encouraged to have a laugh while helping each other.

“The idea is to take the fear out of talking.”

One of the participants Colin has been attending the course and pays tribute to everyone involved in helping him come such a long way.

“Gavel club is amazing, I was dying, 22 months later things are much better,

“Now I’m speaking, walking, laughing and joking, look at me now.”

Up to 16,000 New Zealanders currently live with aphasia and the most common cause is by stroke.

Approximately one third of the people who have a stroke will suffer some aphasia, roughly equivalent to six people every day becoming aphasic.

Two classes have been run this year by Capital & Coast District Health Board, and Brazier hopes to expand the group to the rest of the Wellington region next year.

“Our goal next year is to try and grow it out.”

ENDS

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