There is an increasing recognition that families and caregivers of patients require special training to manage their wards. PACT or Partners of aphasic patients Conversation Training is an initiative which aims to improve awareness of methods of communicating with aphasic patients. This paper studied the experience of the partners and the impact on their wards using a semi-structured format. The study found that the partners appreciated the training and were able to adapt to the needs of the patient based on the feedback from the speech language therapist. For example, partners adopting a pedagogic attitude and interrupting the patient could correct their behaviour once it was pointed out to them during training. This enabled the aphasic patients to attempt using words, develop confidence and be more at ease during conversations. Once the partners became aware about the interactive nature of the conversation, their collaboration increased and they could participate better in the rehabilitation process.
PACT or Partners of Aphasic Clients Conversation Training
Reviewed by Gauri Mankekar
‘Now it is about me having to learn something …’. Partners’ experiences with a Dutch conversation partner training programme (PACT).
CONTRIBUTOR
Gauri Mankekar
Department of Otolaryngology-Head Neck Surgery, Louisiana State University Shreveport, Louisiana, USA.
View Full Profile
