Nursing care plan for aphasia

Introduction to Nursing Care Plan for Aphasia

Aphasia is a communication disorder resulting from damage to the brain caused by stroke, head injury, brain tumor, or other diseases such as Alzheimer's disease. People with aphasia have difficulty understanding language and producing language, including words, sentences and gestures.

In this article, we will discuss Nursing Care Plan for Aphasia. We will look at the assessment, nursing diagnosis, outcomes, interventions, rationales, evaluation, and conclusion of this care plan.

Assessment

During an assessment, the nurse should identify the patient's symptoms and limitations due to the aphasia. It is important to examine if the patient has difficulty understanding language, communicating clearly, naming objects, writing and speaking. Additionally, the nurse should evaluate if the patient has difficulty reading, spelling, and understanding grammar. Questions may be asked to gain insight into the patient's level of comprehension, such as asking the patient to follow a three-step command.

Nursing Diagnosis

Once the assessment is complete, the nurse can develop a nursing diagnosis. Common nursing diagnoses for patients with aphasia are: impaired verbal communication and decreased safety awareness. Impaired verbal communication involves difficulty understanding and forming words and sentences. Decreased safety awareness relates to the inability to understand environmental danger, like warning signs and fire alarms.

Outcomes

The goal of the nursing care plan is to help the patient achieve the desired outcome. For patients with aphasia, the desired outcome is improved communication and improved overall quality of life. This includes being able to communicate basic needs, such as asking for food or bathroom needs. Other goals may include engaging in meaningful conversations, improving ability to read and write, and/or increasing safety awareness.

Interventions

Interventions are the plan of action that the nurse takes to help the patient meet their goals. Some of the interventions for aphasia may include: talking with the patient in short sentences and phrases, maintaining eye contact, and providing visual cues. Additionally, the nurse may provide language therapy, speech-language therapy, and/or occupational therapy for more comprehensive care.

Rationales

Rationales are the reasons why the interventions are used. Talking with the patient in short sentences and phrases helps the patient process what they are hearing. Eye contact shows the patient that they have your attention and maintains the connection. Visual cues allow the patient to better express themselves since they may have trouble communicating verbally. Language, speech-language, and occupational therapy helps the patient regain their language skills.

Evaluation

At the end of the treatment plan, the nurse should evaluate the plan to see if the patient has met their desired goals. The patient may be assessed by doing a language test, such as the Tobias Language Test, to determine the patient’s progress in language skills. Additionally, the patient can be questioned on their ability to express basic needs, engage in meaningful exchanges, and increase their safety awareness.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Nursing Care Plans for Aphasia involve assessing the patient's symptoms, creating a nursing diagnosis, specifying outcomes, creating an intervention plan, giving rationales for each intervention, and evaluating progress. With the right treatment plan, patients with aphasia can improve their communication skills and make progress towards recovery.

FAQs

• What is aphasia?
  Aphasia is a communication disorder resulting from damage to the brain caused by stroke, head injury, brain tumor, or other diseases such as Alzheimer's disease. People with aphasia have difficulty understanding language and producing language, including words, sentences and gestures.
• What is the goal of a nursing care plan for aphasia?
  The goal of the nursing care plan is to help the patient achieve improved communication and overall quality of life. This includes being able to communicate basic needs, such as asking for food or bathroom needs, engaging in meaningful conversations, improving ability to read and write, and/or increasing safety awareness.
• What are interventions for aphasia?
  Interventions are the plan of action that the nurse takes to help the patient meet their goals. Some of the interventions for aphasia may include: talking with the patient in short sentences and phrases, maintaining eye contact, and providing visual cues. Additionally, the nurse may provide language therapy, speech-language therapy, and/or occupational therapy for more comprehensive care.
• How do nurses evaluate progress with aphasia?
  At the end of the treatment plan, the nurse should evaluate the plan to see if the patient has met their desired goals. The patient may be assessed by doing a language test, such as the Tobias Language Test, to determine the patient’s progress in language skills. Additionally, the patient can be questioned on their ability to express basic needs, engage in meaningful exchanges, and increase their safety awareness.
• What is the prognosis for a person with aphasia?
  Prognosis for a person with aphasia depends on the type and severity of the disorder. Milder forms of aphasia often improve with time and therapy, while more severe cases may never reach pre-injury levels. With the right treatment plan, patients with aphasia can improve their communication skills and make progress towards recovery.