Hospiten Roca has incorporated a speech therapy to their list of specialties, aware of the importance of offering the patient integrated service while hospitalized.
The Hospiten Roca speech therapist, Nuria Lorenzo Gonzalez explains that after a stroke or cerebrovascular accident communication can be affected as well as the capacity to understand or express oneself. She stresses, “one of the most common effects is aphasia, which affects speech, understanding and the ability to read and write, and dysphasia, affecting the ability to swallow”.
Nuria Lorenzo says that hospitals need a speech therapist “to assess and detect rapidly and effectively if the patient’s speech has been affected in any way, either expression or comprehension, because often the patient cannot explain what is going on”.
The Hospiten Group states that 78% of Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) cases in Spain are the result of a STROKE. 65.3% are people over 65 years of age and 52% of these cases are women. The specialist stresses how important it is to evaluate the presence of dysphagia as soon as possible, before administering food or medication orally, because incidence of the condition is at its highest in the first week after the stroke. She furthermore explains that victims of stroke must be treated normally and given time to express themselves calmly.
People suffering a stroke may also have dysarthria, which not only affects communication, but also causes paralysis or sluggishness in the muscles affecting speech. There may also be dysphonia, which involves problems using one’s voice. These patients should begin rehabilitation as soon as possible to be able to carry out their daily activities and, thus regain their independence.
The speech therapist points out that the patient’s recovery depends largely on dealing with and speaking to patients normally, on giving them time to express themselves calmly, not speaking to them nor interrupting them when they are speaking.