Understanding Aphasia: Realities and Strategies for EMS Providers

Photo provided by Avi Golden Avi Golden is an EMT who can no longer talk after suffering a stroke. He now makes it his mission to educate others about those dealing with aphasia.   Editor’s Introduction It was a chance encounter one day as I scanned Facebook posts from “friends” and acquaintances. I have countless “friends”, many of which I have never met in person, but find, through their content or other “friends” to be in my world of interest and specialization. Several postings were from paramedic Avi Golden, one such “friend” I followed frequently on Facebook and found to be sharp, inquisitive and ever-present on the Web. Avi seemed like someone I could utilize to alert me to interesting articles, studies and innovations he found on the Web. So, I reached out to him that day and asked him to call me. He responded back in a rather cryptic note – replying that we should continue the discussion on Messenger. Thinking Messenger was too impersonal, I replied that I really wanted to speak to Avi via the phone to personally communicate my thinking to him. He said “OK” and my phone soon rang. I answered the phone and heard a synthesized voice on the other end. I inquired about what was an unusual voice coming across and that is when Avi relayed to be his background as an emergency responder and educator and the stroke he had suffered that left him aphasic. Realizing his condition and understanding that the keyboard was friendlier to him than our effo...
Source: JEMS Patient Care - Category: Emergency Medicine Authors: Tags: Training Exclusive Articles Patient Care Source Type: news