JCPSLP Vol 17 No 2 2015_web

rehabilitation have been developed in recent years, including communication partner training and educational programs about aphasia. These interventions have documented positive effects on significant others’ psychosocial well-being and ability to support the communication and participation of people with aphasia, and it is recommended that rehabilitation includes the significant others of people with aphasia. However, the extent to which these interventions form part of speech- language therapists’ (SLTs) current clinical practice is unknown. The aim of this qualitative study was to explore the process through which SLTs work with significant others of people with aphasia in rehabilitation settings. Participants were eight SLTs who had been working with people with aphasia in one of four inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation facilities for at least 1 year. Participants were female, aged between 27 and 53 years with a mean age of 40, and had worked with people with aphasia for between 4 and 31 years with a mean of 15 years. The SLTs participated in individual semi-structured interviews, and grounded theory principles were applied in analysing the interview transcripts. A model was developed theorising SLTs’ process of working with significant others of people with aphasia in a rehabilitation setting. Central to this process was participants’ perception that working with significant others

was challenging, although a bonus to their fundamental patient-centred approach. Clinical experience and workplace environment influenced the development of this perception. With experience, SLTs reported becoming open to including significant others in rehabilitation, but noted several challenges to including them, including their accessibility. When significant others were available, basic interventions were undertaken to include them, such as inviting significant others to therapy and information sharing. Participants rarely provided significant others with language exercises or trained them to communicate more effectively with the aphasic person. Participants indicated they had unachieved ideals, including more frequent contact with significant others, even if they felt satisfied with their efforts to offer interventions to the family members and friends of people with aphasia. The authors advocate re-evaluation of SLTs’ perceptions of including significant others in aphasia rehabilitation. They suggest if SLTs perceive including significant others as a feasible necessity, rather than as a challenging bonus, they will be more inclined to include significant others in aphasia rehabilitation, with the aim to improve their communication with the person with aphasia. Suggestions to promote this re-evaluation include featuring in-depth training about family intervention in the SLT curriculum, redefining the concept of patient, and exploring SLTs’ beliefs and emotions related to including significant others in aphasia therapy.

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JCPSLP Volume 17, Number 2 2015

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