Q: I had never heard of aphasia before, and suddenly, since my father’s been diagnosed with primary progressive aphasia, I’ve been hearing a lot about it. With all the information available, it’s difficult to understand what I need to know and what I should expect. Can you outline the basics?
A: There are times when a lot of information can be useful; however, there are also times when it can be downright confusing. This confusion can increase even more when you’re just learning about a disease that’s going to impact your family’s life.
First, I’d like to tell you that you aren’t alone in your experience so far. I often hear that families will spend their lives never knowing about a specific illness until one of their loved ones is diagnosed. They usually echo your statement that once they hear of it, it’s everywhere they turn. This is what makes finding need-to-know information versus information overload so important.
Below, we’ll share the basics of aphasia so you can learn what you need to know to ensure the best care for your loved one.
The Basics of Aphasia
What is aphasia and who does it affect?
According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, aphasia is a disease that is caused by damage to the side of the brain that is language dominant. A person with aphasia may experience difficulty communicating with others in their daily life because of damaged nerve cells that affect language skills.
Why does it occur?
Aphasia can be caused by a range of factors, including:
- Stroke
- Head injuries and brain damage
- Brain tumors
- Infections
- Types of dementia – most often frontotemporal dementia and Alzheimer’s disease
There are several types of aphasia, like Broca, Wernicke, and global aphasia. There is another type that affects people with dementia, and it’s called Primary Progressive Aphasia (PPA). As this is the form you’re facing – and the one that we see most often at Bridges® by EPOCH – this is the one we’ll go into further detail about.
Primary Progressive Aphasia Facts
There’s a lot to know about primary progressive aphasia, but some of the most important facts are outlined below.
- It’s a rare nervous system syndrome that affects your ability to communicate.
- Symptoms begin gradually and worsen as time goes on.
- The Cleveland Clinic states that the underlying cause of PPA is a disease like Alzheimer’s disease or frontotemporal dementia.
- Aphasia may also be a symptom of Alzheimer’s disease.
- Those with frontotemporal dementia can be affected by two subgroups: a nonfluent variant and semantic variant of primary progressive dementia.
- Another variant of primary progressive aphasia is the logopenic variant.
- Risk factors include learning disabilities and certain gene mutations.
How To Manage and Deal with an Aphasia Diagnosis
If you or your loved one has aphasia and memory loss, it can be challenging to know where to start when planning for the future. Discover some of what you can expect, learn techniques to manage the condition, find out how to reduce your risk, and see where you can find support.
What you can expect.
With primary progressive aphasia, language skills and the ability to communicate decrease over time. As time goes on, they may need support with daily activities. Many people with the condition live up to 12 years after a diagnosis, so planning ahead and knowing what to expect and how to manage symptoms can be beneficial.
Managing primary progressive aphasia.
While there’s no cure or way to stop its progression, there are some ways that slowing the progression or increasing quality of life may be possible. According to the Cleveland Clinic, this can consist of:
- Participating in cognitive therapy or speech therapy with a speech language pathologist
- Managing anxiety, depression and behavioral changes with medications
- Talking to a doctor about certain medications for people with Alzheimer’s disease if Alzheimer’s is their underlying cause of primary progressive aphasia
- Finding new means of communication, such as sign language
Tips for communicating.
If you are caring for a loved one with this disease, try to remember to:
- Speak clearly and slowly
- Refrain from interrupting your loved one
- Avoid correcting every mistake
- Use visual aids if needed
Reducing your risk.
There is no guaranteed way to reduce your risk of primary progressive aphasia, but it may be possible to lessen your risk of dementia. The Cleveland Clinic shares that certain activities can help, such as:
- Avoiding head trauma
- Eating a balanced diet
- Exercising regularly
- Maintaining social connections
- Managing health conditions
Finding support.
At Bridges® by EPOCH, we care for many older adults with aphasia and use proven techniques to provide the best care possible. From using visual aids with a person with Alzheimer’s to providing new ways to communicate and connect with iN2L™ technology, our caregivers enhance quality of life. For more information about our communities, or to schedule a visit, contact the location nearest you on our website.
Enhancing Quality of Life
Bridges® by EPOCH memory care communities have been developed from the ground up to anticipate, meet and exceed the needs of our residents and their families. Our team of remarkable people, the exceptional care and services we offer, and the purposeful design of our buildings all combine to create the most rewarding, secure and nurturing lifestyle possible for our residents.
Bridges® communities are located in Connecticut, Massachusetts and New Hampshire, in the following towns: Norwalk, CT; Stamford, CT; Trumbull, CT; Andover, MA; Hingham, MA; Lexington, MA; Mashpee, MA; Pembroke, MA; Sudbury, MA; Westford, MA; Westwood, MA; and Nashua, NH.
Bridges® by EPOCH is New England’s largest stand-alone memory care assisted living provider.
Alicia Seaver is Vice President of Memory Care Operations for EPOCH Senior Living and a Certified Memory Impairment Specialist. Every month, she addresses a specific issue related to memory and memory care. If you’re interested in hearing about a particular topic, please send a note to [email protected].