SOS: ‘conversation partners’ needed for stroke survivors
Volunteers are urgently needed for an innovative scheme which supports stroke survivors to redevelop their communication skills.
The scheme, run by Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust’s speech and language therapy department, works by matching stroke survivors with a volunteer to meet weekly for up to an hour to work together to share a conversation. This could involve finding a different way to communicate, or learning new skills.
Volunteers are provided with interactive training supported by stroke survivors, before being matched with a client in the local area to work together for six months. Although the client and volunteer work together independently, the Trust’s speech and language staff are always on hand to offer support and advice if needed.
Explains the department’s Alison Rimmer: “For stroke survivors, losing the skill of being able to converse with the people around them can be a very distressing and isolating experience. The work our ‘conversation partners’ do in supporting a stroke survivor to rediscover that fundamentally important skill is hugely valuable and provides an enormous boost to the person’s recovery and confidence.”
Training sessions start on April 14. If you think you could be a ‘Conversation Partner’ and would like to know more about the scheme, please contact Alison Rimmer at the speech & language therapy department, Amersham Hospital on 01494 734415.