Speak Out October 2017 LOW RES

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October 2017 Speak Out 37
THE AUSTIN APHASIA INTEGRATION PROGRAM
(AAIP) was awarded the HESTA Primary Health
Care Team Excellence Award at the Allied Health
Research Conference Dinner in August. The program
was recognised for its contribution to supporting
people living with chronic aphasia in the community.
The AAIP is an intensive comprehensive
multidisciplinary group program which aims
to improve mood, functional communication,
community integration as a well as provide carer
support. The program was successfully piloted
through clinical research conducted in partnership
with La Trobe University (Lauren Kovesy, Associate
Professor Miranda Rose, Michelle Attard and Gillian
Steel) in 2015. Management support was then
gained to rollout the program within the existing
Health Independence Program rehabilitation services
budget 2016–2017.
The AAIP is comprised of an Intensive
Comprehensive Group Program (four hours a day,
two days per week for eight weeks) followed by
a Transition and Community Integration Program
(four weeks), to bridge the gap from community
rehabilitation services to community–based
networks.
The AAIP participants engage in pre-assessment
and individual goal-setting. Goals are addressed
through group program activities, including:
conversation, technology, music, art, carer support/
training, aphasia advocacy and community
connections (leisure/recreation).
The program is led by two speech pathologists,
Lauren Kovesy and Emma Burns, with the
assistance of a dynamic team of social workers,
music therapists, art therapists, community
integration and leisure workers; and trained
volunteers (which also included people with aphasia
in the role of peer supporters).
31 people with aphasia and their families have
participated across three iterations with the following
outcomes:
• participants achieved the majority of their goals;
• positive change in formal measures of mood,
social participation, community integration,
communication skills and carer burden.
Upon completion, participants commenced their
own social aphasia support group, were linked in
with community services, and were successfully
discharged from community rehabilitation services.
The AAIP translated research into clinical practice,
achieving an effective cost-neutral approach to the
major challenge of supporting people with chronic
aphasia.
The AAIP team has collaborated with the research
team at the Aphasia Hub at LaTrobe University;
clinical education schools at LaTrobe University
and Australian Catholic University; and the Stroke
Association of Victoria Stroke Hub (Kew). The team
also acknowledges the generous initial research
funding support from the Becher Foundation, Eireen
Lucas Foundation and the Royal Talbot Research
Fund.
The AAIP team are delighted that the experience
of people living with aphasia has been highlighted
through the HESTA Primary Healthcare Award.
The prize money will be reinvested into further
development of the program with the view
of promoting the model to other community
rehabilitation services.
For further questions regarding the Austin Aphasia
Integration Program do not hesitate to contact
Lauren Kovesy ) or
Emma Burns )
Aphasia
Integration
Program
recognised
Victoria
VIC 2066
members
as at September 2017