Speech-Language and Hearing Therapy

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Browsing Speech-Language and Hearing Therapy by browse.metadata.advisor "Bardien, Faeza"

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    The communication experiences of young adult stroke survivors with stroke-related communication difficulties
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2024-03) Bester, Nena; De Beer, Alida; Bardien, Faeza; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences. Dept. of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences. Speech-Language and Hearing Therapy.
    ENGLISH SUMMARY: Background: The rising incidence of stroke among young adults has led to a growing population of survivors experiencing communication difficulties. Existing research highlights their frustration and feelings of invisibility, indicating a lack of acknowledgement of their unique needs in rehabilitation. This study employs the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF) as a holistic framework to explore the significant impact of stroke-related communication difficulties on young adults. Research aim: The aim was to describe the communication experiences of young adult stroke survivors with mild to moderate stroke-related communication difficulties who attended a public healthcare facility for speech-language therapy services in the Western Cape. The objective was to obtain information about the participants’ 1) communication experiences, 2) communication rehabilitation experiences, 3) communication needs and 4) areas to consider in their communication rehabilitation. Methods: The study employed a cross-sectional, descriptive phenomenological design. The sample of five young adults, who ranged in age from 26 to 49 years was selected through purposive homogeneous sampling from three different healthcare facilities. Males and females were included with various communication difficulties and comorbid stroke symptoms represented. An interview guide was used for data collection via semi-structured interviews. Thematic analysis based on descriptive phenomenology was used as the data analysis approach. Findings: The data analysis yielded five main themes describing the experiences of these five young adult with stroke-related communication difficulties. The first two themes emphasize emotions they experienced in relation to communication difficulties as well as adaptation to these difficulties, aligning with the holistic perspective of the ICF. The third theme addresses intrinsic factors to consider when addressing communication difficulties in this population, relating to the ICF’s focus on personal factors. Subthemes related to this theme include awareness of their communication difficulties, insight related to the impact of these difficulties, help-seeking behaviour, physical abilities, and alternative and augmentative communication (AAC). AAC emerged as a notable coping strategy, highlighting the multifaceted nature of personal factors influencing its successful implementation. Beyond personal aspects, three subthemes related to the environment shaped the participants’ experiences, aligning with the ICF’s consideration of environmental factors. These include the environment's impact on participation, communication partners’ needs, and their influence on the independence of young adults with stroke-related communication difficulties. Lastly, the research findings illustrate the need for speech-language therapists (SLTs) to integrate the principles of the ICF into their approach to management of young adult stroke survivors with stroke-related communication difficulties. Considering both personal and environmental factors in training, feedback, and support is vital for facilitating participation in communication for young adult stroke survivors with communication difficulties. Conclusion: By exploring emotional aspects, personal factors, environmental influences, and the contribution of SLTs, it is possible to develop more nuanced and personalised rehabilitation strategies for young adults with stroke-related communication difficulties. Aligned with the principles of the ICF, such strategies hold the potential to enhance the quality of life, communication, and communication rehabilitation experiences for young adults with stroke-related communication difficulties.
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    The communication needs of young and old cerebrovascular accident survivors
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2018-03) De Grass-Clementson, Jamie; De Beer, Alida; Bardien, Faeza; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences. Dept. of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences. Speech Language and Hearing Therapy.
    ENGLISH SUMMARY : Cerebrovascular accidents (CVAs) are a growing epidemic in developing countries such as South Africa, resulting in an increase in CVA-related morbidity, which includes communication impairments. CVAs have traditionally been viewed as a disease of the elderly, but there is an increase in the prevalence of young CVA survivors. This quantitative descriptive cross-sectional research aimed to describe the communication needs of young and old CVA survivors in the following five communication areas: difficult communication situations, difficult communication skills, preferred communication strategies, preferred conversational topics and preferred literacy skills. The results obtained from the 62 participants (i.e. 22 young and 40 old CVA survivors) who completed the Aphasia Needs Assessment (Garrett & Beukelman, 2006) highlight that their personal and social communication needs have to be addressed before those that are environmental in nature. Furthermore, the findings suggest that difficult communication skills have to be identified before difficult communication situations and preferred topics can be addressed. Speech-language therapists working within the South African context are often confronted with challenges such as high unemployment, poverty, poor literacy levels and adverse circumstances, thus making the use of appropriate assessment criteria and management approaches challenging. Speech-language therapists are therefore recommended to identify CVA survivors’ unique barriers and facilitators to ensure appropriate intervention.
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    Communication, cognitive functioning, and feeding and swallowing information needs of caregivers of individuals diagnosed with alzheimer’s disease within a support group setting
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2022-04) Le Roux, Carla; De Beer, Alida; Bardien, Faeza; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences. Dept. of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences. Speech-Language and Hearing Therapy.
    ENGLISH SUMMARY: Background: The number of individuals with Alzheimer’s disease will rise significantly in the coming years. This is a concern as Alzheimer’s disease affects numerous functions within the scope of the speech-language therapist. However, due to the limited number of speech-language therapists in South Africa, individual speech and language therapy is not a viable option. Support groups may be a more optimal way of providing speech and language therapy service-related information. Objectives: The study aimed to determine the speech therapy-related information needs of caregivers of individuals with Alzheimer’s disease, as well as their preferred support group structure. The study further aimed to describe common speech and language therapy-related points of discussion at support groups and the current structure of support groups in the Western Cape. Method: A convergent parallel mixed method research design was used, and qualitative and quantitative data were collected simultaneously. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with caregivers of individuals with Alzheimer’s disease, whilst an online survey was used to collect data from support group facilitators. Results: The results indicated that caregivers had both directly stated, as well as indirectly stated information and support needs. Caregivers had more directly stated information and support needs about cognitive functioning than communication or feeding and swallowing. Their information and support needs were influenced by the current level of functioning of the individual with AD, caregivers’ perceptions about the features of AD and their management, as well as acceptance of these difficulties. Caregivers did, however, have more indirectly stated information needs about communication as well as feeding and swallowing. There were also discrepancies identified between caregivers’ support group structure preferences and the current support group structure in the Western Cape. Conclusion: The factors driving caregivers’ information and support needs guide the information provided at support groups. As much information and support needs are indirectly stated, these needs may likely not be expressed in support groups. Subsequently, caregivers’ knowledge about these areas of difficulty may remain limited. This may negatively affect caregiver understanding-and management of these difficulties. Furthermore, accessibility of support groups may be negatively impacted by the discrepancies between caregiver preferences and current support group structure.
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    The perceptions of nurses regarding the communication and cognition of persons with mild Alzheimer’s dementia, within the Tygerberg district of Cape Town
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2017-12) Jeske, Corinna; Gerber, Berna; Bardien, Faeza; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences. Dept. of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences. Speech Language and Hearing Therapy.
    ENGLISH SUMMARY : This South African study aimed to determine the perceptions of a group of nurses regarding the care of mild Alzheimer’s dementia (AD), with specific reference to the communication and cognitive abilities of these patients. A convenience sample, comprising of nurses, caring for persons with mild AD, was recruited, within five homes for the elderly in the Tygerberg district, within the Cape Town area, Western Cape. A qualitative research approach was used within the phenomenological tradition. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 nurses. The data collected from the interviews was analysed qualitatively, using thematic analysis, with the components of inductive analysis, latent themes and constructionist epistemology. The findings of this study indicate that there are minimal funds available for the care of senior citizens, including persons with AD, in South Africa. Minimal funding for governmental homes for the elderly leads to a few nurses often being the only health care professionals employed at these homes. The findings of this study illustrate that the majority of these nurses never received formal training with regards to AD care. These nurses were aware of a range of behavioural changes persons with AD experience due to motor, perceptual, cognitive and communicative deterioration and personality changes. They discussed both, the benefits and the challenges that these behavioural changes created, as well as coping strategies helping them overcome these challenges. It became evident that whilst nurses were aiming to provide the best care to the persons with mild AD, their focus of care was mainly on the physical aspects of care. Even though the nursing staff, in these homes, is well positioned to provide intervention to persons with mild AD in terms of their communication and cognition, they seemed to have had limited to no exposure to such interventions. The findings of this study, highlight the need for the development, presentation and administration of cognitive and communicative training interventions, aimed at the specific needs of the nurses working in governmental homes in the Tygerberg district.
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    Speech-language therapy treatment practices for multilingual speakers with aphasia : a scoping review
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2021-03) Heunis, Ingrid; Bardien, Faeza; Dawood, Gouwa; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences. Dept. of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences. Speech Language and Hearing Therapy.
    ENGLISH SUMMARY : The management of multilingual aphasia, a multi-layered phenomenon, is a growing and complex field in speech-language therapy. Researchers and clinicians are often faced with many challenges and questions when making clinical decisions. The decision-making process includes the following considerations: which language(s) to treat; the transfer of therapeutic benefits between the treated and untreated language(s), or not, and whether there is little or no effect in the untreated language. Despite demographic and epidemiological trends such as increased migration patterns and the linguistic diversity in South Africa (11 official languages), a comprehensive inquiry regarding clinical practices employed by speech-language therapists (SLTs) with multilingual speakers with aphasia has not been conducted yet. Given the limited clinical guidelines available for managing this clinical population, this scoping review was conducted to explore, describe, and summarise reported speech-language therapy treatment practices used with multilingual speakers with aphasia. The scoping review included two phases. Phase one was a literature review investigating international trends in the treatment of multilingual speakers with aphasia (step one to step five). This was followed by the consultation phase (step six) in the form of semi-structured interviews with five South African SLTs working with adult multilingual speakers with aphasia. Content analysis was the primary means of analysis with a quantitative approach in phase one and a qualitative approach in phase two. The scoping review revealed a range of information regarding treatment practices for multilingual speakers with aphasia. There was variability in the practices employed and broad definitions of the terminology used. The primary concern in the stakeholder consultation process was the mismatch between the linguistic diversity amongst SLTs and most of the multilingual population in South Africa. The need for including interpreters in clinical work was also noted. These findings highlight the need to develop local research that includes evidenced-based guidelines regarding treatment practices for multilingual speakers with aphasia, despite the complexity and challenge of the heterogeneous composition of South Africa.