The workshop, “Communicating with Persons with Aphasia: Putting it Into Practice”, was hosted in partnership with Providence Care Hospital in Founder’s Hall. The 55 participants included a variety of health care providers from acute care, rehabilitation, complex continuing care, outpatient, the community, long-term care and other related settings. Despite having run this event last year, the large number of participants and the need for a wait list for this event demonstrated the keen interest of those who care for people with aphasia to learn more and refresh their knowledge and skills. Health care providers were able to participate in person, connect with colleagues and learn from Speech-Language Pathologists, Monika Bhatnagar and Kathryn Sirard. Participants were able to learn more about the different types of communication challenges that can occur following a stroke, how they may affect the individual, identify characteristics of successful communication, and learn strategies which may be used to support conversation. There was a practical component as part of the day, where participants were able to learn practical tips to utilize in their various practice settings, and try their new skills with their colleagues. The workshop received very positive feedback, with survey respondents expressing that they “really enjoyed it and learned a lot” from the “excellent presenters and fantastic info” and they “especially liked the role-playing scenarios for learning how to apply the knowledge”.

