January 2019 saw the first session of the pilot Kingston-based community Aphasia Conversation Groups. A Kingston-based Aphasia Buddies Program also began providing services in January through the VON-Kingston.Funded by the South East LHIN, the Aphasia Conversation Groups are facilitated by a speech-language pathologist (SLP) from Kaymar Rehabilitation and coordinated by the VON Stroke Support Coordinator. With support and mentoring from Quinte District Rehabilitation and Community Care for South Hastings, these groups are modelled on the very successful program provided by these organizations in the Quinte area since 2015. Each Kingston session consists of eight 1.5 hour weekly meetings; a second session is anticipated in March. Two groups will run during each session and the SLP performs an intake assessment on all interested clients to determine which group will best align with each client’s needs. The Aphasia Buddies Program is coordinated through the VON-Kingston who has partnered with St. Lawrence College (SLC) and Queen’s University for this project. Students from the SLC Communicative Disorders Assistant Program, the SLC Therapeutic Recreation Program and the Queen’s Psychology Program received a condensed training session on aphasia from a qualified SLP. The students also received volunteer orientation from VON-Kingston. These students are then paired with an adult with aphasia in the community providing an informal communication and social opportunity. For additional information on either of these Kingston programs, please contact Lynda Lennox, VON-Kingston Stroke Support Coordinator at 613-634-0130 x 3469 or by email at lynda.lennox@von.ca For information on the Belleville Aphasia Conversation Groups, please contact Lorraine Pyle, Community Care for South Hastings Stroke Services Coordinator at 613-969-0130 x 5207 or by email at lorrainep@ccsh.ca Learn More
Fewer strokes. Better outcomes.