OLDER ADULTS
I am trained in Supported Conversation for Adults (SCA).
Supported conversation helps adults who have had a stroke find their
words. SCA is an intervention approach specifically designed to help
people with aphasia express their feelings and opinions in a way that
makes them feel appreciated and heard. SCA is a program that uses
a set of techniques that aims to improve conversational interaction
through body language and gesture, drawings, pictographs in addition
to spoken and written words. This approach is based on the idea that the
inherent competence of people with aphasia can be revealed through the
skill of the conversation partner. (Kagan et al. 2001)
In my private practice, I work with a range of concerns that seniors who
have had a stroke have, such as loss of employment, loss of meaningful
hobbies such as reading, loss of language, and loss of use of a dominant
hand or other body part.
Art helps adults who have lost the use of their dominant hand to practice with their non-dominant hand in a fun and meaningful way.
As written in the article, Aging: What’s Art Got To Do With It? by Barbara Bagan, Ph.D., ATR-BC, art has been proven to help older adults in the following ways:
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helping individuals relax;
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providing a sense of control;
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reducing depression and anxiety;
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assisting in socialization;
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encouraging playfulness and a sense of humor;
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improving cognition;
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offering sensory stimulation;
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fostering a stronger sense of identity;
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increasing self-esteem;
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nurturing spirituality; and
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reducing boredom.
