MedStar Sessions Will Address Aphasia
Aphasia is an acquired condition that impairs a person’s ability to process language, but does not affect intelligence. Since June is National Aphasia Awareness Month, MedStar St. Mary’s Hospital will offer two sessions to help educate people about the communication disorder, which is estimated to affect approximately 2 million Americans.
The information sessions will be held Tuesday, June 27, and Thursday, June 29, 2017. The hospital is at 25500 Point Lookout Road in Leonardtown.
The most common cause of aphasia is stroke, however, it also can result from head injury, brain tumor, or other neurological causes. People with aphasia often have difficulty reading, writing, speaking, and/or understanding language.
“Many people do not understand that aphasia is a loss of language, not a loss of intelligence,” said Anna Decker, MS, CCC-SLP, speech language pathologist at MedStar St. Mary’s. “There are strategies available to help those impacted improve their communication.”
Individuals who are interested in learning more about aphasia, may stop by the hospital’s atrium, which is located inside the Café at Buena Vista, between noon and 1 pm June 27 and 29. A speech language pathologist will be available to offer information and talk to individuals about how to help those affected with aphasia.
About MedStar St. Mary’s Hospital
MedStar St. Mary’s Hospital is a full-service community hospital, delivering state-of-the-art emergency, acute inpatient and outpatient care in Leonardtown, Maryland. Nestled in a waterside community, MedStar St. Mary’s provides advanced technology with a dedication to excellence in all services provided. The not-for-profit hospital has been named among the nation’s Top 100 Hospitals and is an eight time recipient of the prestigious Delmarva Medicare Excellence Award. In addition, MSMH received the Maryland Performance Excellence award at the Platinum level in 2014 – the highest in the state. The staff is committed to providing quality and compassionate medical care for all patients by coupling innovation with an outstanding team of medical staff members, associates, and volunteers.
For more information and one-click access to a full list of resources available at MedStar St. Mary’s Hospital, visit its Leader member page.
