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October 2016

www.speechpathologyaustralia.org.au

Speak Out

45

Victoria

VIC 1849

members

as at August 2016

The Visual Menu

was designed and

produced at Caulfield Rehabilitation

Centre’s Acquired Brain Injury Unit. It

was developed by speech pathology and

allied health assistant staff after many

patients with communication and cognitive

impairment expressed frustration at not

being able to choose their meals, and

having meals appear which they were

certain they had not ordered. Before the

Visual Menu was developed, patients

would need to select meals, often helped

by family or staff, from a written menu.

Menu choices might say veal marengo

or chicken cacciatore which even for a

non-brain injured person can be difficult to

decipher. A person with aphasia trying to

order for themselves might try to order rice

as a side, but instead order pasta due to a

semantic link breakdown, or order butter

beans assuming they were choosing a

spread for their bread.

The Visual Menu allows patients to choose

their menu options based on coloured

photographs of the actual meals. Family

and/or staff often still assist; however, the

visual cues enable people to have a better

idea of what they are actually ordering –

they can “see” veal marengo and make a

choice accordingly.

As there are more than 400 different meal

options at Caulfield, based on a four-week

rotational menu, gathering the photos

was a challenge! The staff involved in the

project rotated taking photos of all meals

as they came off the conveyor belt, which

took several weeks.

The aim of the project is to support

patients to have an increased sense of

independence; we found it encouraged

staff and family members to assist patients

with communication at a functional level.

A further advantage has been reducing

food wastage as patients are more content

with food options they have chosen

themselves. Formal evaluation of the Visual

Menu involved surveying staff, patients,

and families.

Ten staff and six patients completed a

survey about the Visual Menu. Of the ten

staff surveyed, nine were aware of it and

had used it (nurses, speech pathologists

and allied health assistants). Of the six

patients surveyed, two had used it directly,

and a further three were interested in

using it. Staff comments were all positive

and focused on how the Visual Menu

helps patients to have more choice and

is easy to use with patients. Patients who

are using the menu commented, “It helps

because it is hard to recognise the names

of things like the braised meats…pictures

are handy”, and, “I prefer the picture

menu”. Patients surveyed also noted they

were now more aware of all the choices

available.

The project is being reviewed by Caulfield

Hospital Business and Strategy Unit

Manager to explore a roll-out of the Visual

Menu throughout rehabilitation and aged

care wards in Caulfield Hospital.

Anat Lankri

Speech Pathologist Caulfield Hospital

Acquired Brain Injury Unit

To celebrate the

theme of Speech

Pathology Week 2016; Changing Lives – Creating

Futures, student representatives of the Victorian

Branch of Speech Pathology Australia hosted an

event for 150 students. Professionals from a range of

clinical and research areas, as well as differing levels

of experience, were invited to discuss how students

can create their own futures as they enter the

profession. Hosted at Australian Catholic University,

speakers Simone Arnott, Karen Bloomberg, Sue

Cameron, Jane-Elise Cherry, Deb Phyland, Katherine

Sanchez and Nathaniel Swain discussed how they

created their future and paved the way to their

careers. Each speaker discussed their personal

journey as a speech pathologist, including their

greatest accomplishments and challenges, and

presented advice they wished they had received as

a new graduate. Students then had the opportunity

to ask questions of the speakers in a formal panel

discussion, and during a networking session that

followed. It was a valuable opportunity for students

to hear the varied experiences of a range of

professionals and reflect on the breadth of “futures”

that can be created within the profession.

We would like to thank our speakers who so

generously gave up their time for the event, SCOPE

for the delicious catering, Speech Pathology

Australia Victoria Branch, and the support of student

coordinator Hannah Stark for making this event

possible.

SPA Victorian Branch Student Representatives

Creating Future Speechies

Visual Menu aids rehabilitation