Relationship After Stroke: How to Rebuild the Closeness You Had | #219

Brian started writing notes again for the gratitude vase by his front door. A few weeks later his wife was writing them too, and their kids were reading the notes out loud at Sunday dinner.

Take the free Care Partner Compass: aphasiacarepartnercompass.com

That vase was something they already had before his stroke, and bringing it back opened up a whole new level of conversation in their family.

If you’re the spouse of someone with aphasia, the closeness between you two got buried somewhere between the hospital, rehab, and the quiet house after. Speech-language pathologist Genevieve Richardson walks through how that drift happens and how to rebuild your relationship after stroke one small step at a time. That might mean sitting beside him at dinner, resting your hand on his arm, or watching a show with your elbows touching the way they used to.

In this episode you’ll learn why his distance can come from shame, where the disconnection between you two started, and how to reverse engineer the closeness you already had.

0:00 Introduction

1:42 Brian's Story: Shame, Not Indifference

3:58 The Gratitude Vase

6:35 How Disconnection Starts

8:28 How to Reconnect

10:22 Your Reflection

LIFE Speech Pathology helps people with aphasia and the people who love them rebuild a real life after stroke. If you’re a care partner, start with the free Care Partner Compass to see where you are right now and what comes next. aphasiacarepartnercompass.com

Join the LIFE Beyond Aphasia Facebook Group to connect with other care partners who understand what this is like. https://www.facebook.com/groups/lifebeyondaphasiaforcarepartners

@lifebeyondaphasia