Theory and Practice of Multi Agency Partnership - Essay Example

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The outcomes point out that, in a large number of conversations, a marked relapse to pre-morbid levels of interaction was noticed. The outcome on well-being is less apparent. Present SLT encourages dealing with the total communication and associated psychological needs of the person with Aphasia. Pound et al reminds us about the comprehensive feature of Aphasia, affecting an intricate social being that needs flexible, integrated way of treatment. Multi-agency groups offers the benefits of such an approach and at the same time provide encounters in the behavior, responses and language of other people crucial during social participations. Collected evidence is also available which points out that group treatment can be increasingly effective in bettering communicative and linguistic performance for some people having Aphasia.
Team effort was undertaken on a pilot basis in 1999 based on the work of Kagan & Gailey in 1993. The facts from the pilot studies establish strongly that inputs from expert from social services background would play a part in participant outcomes. After this recommendation, a partnership with Leeds SLT -- East Leeds PCT, rendering a service throughout the city Leeds Metropolitan University or LMU, City of Leeds Social Services and the Modernisation Team Disability was built up to supply custom made groups. The Modernisation Team Disability is a joint health services and local authority body enabling multi-agency working aimed at working for the disabled people to help in including and promoting independence within Leeds. The objective of the groups was to offer support in application of communication, accept one's changed self and to overcome obstacles to social participation. Location within an education environment, rather than in health environment, sustains these objectives. Assessment of the results consisted of examination of various conversation styles, extent of communication experience, views of impairment and proof of an alteration in confidence levels of members within the groups. (An evaluation of the effectiveness of a Multi-agency partnership provision of groups for people with Aphasia)
The methodology applied was that the SLTs referred the subjects to one of the three groups. The first one is Conversation Group with subjects having moderate aphasia, a Communication Skills Group with high level of aphasia and a Client and Career group that consisted of clients with acute aphasia and their regular conversation partners. 14 subjects with cases of long-term aphasia were allocated to the groups. Pre-group, post group and a follow up -- FU measurements in 3 months were taken up. These measurements are classified into 3 groups. The first one being measurements of well being applying the "The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale" -- HAD with 14 items inclusive of feeling 'tense or wound up' and 'feeling of panic' and VASES i.e. the 'Visual Analogue of Self Esteem Scale' consisting of 'confidence' and 'optimism'. Measurement of linguistic performance, applying 'Conversational Analysis Profile ...Download file to see next pagesRead More