The public health campaign “Get to know aphasia – I understand, and when I don’t understand – I support” and the expert forum “Availability of speech therapy for people with aphasia – what does the future bring us?” marked the June, month of awareness about aphasia in Zagreb. Aphasia is an acquired language disorder that most often occurs as a result of a stroke. According to current statistics, more than 15,000 people in the Republic of Croatia experience a stroke, and it is estimated that between 25 and 40 percent of people who have survived a stroke have aphasia. As part of the CSR, Bolder agency was responsible of the media promotion of the event.
The events were organized by the Croatian Speech Therapy Society (HLD), SUVAG Zagreb Polyclinic, Department of Speech Therapy of the Faculty of Education and Rehabilitation of the University of Zagreb, Faculty of Speech Therapy of the University of Rijeka and the City Office for Social Protection, Health, Veterans and Persons with Disabilities of the City of Zagreb. The aim of the event was to raise awareness about aphasia, the importance of timely recognition of difficulties, and the role of speech therapists and support from the environment in communication and rehabilitation.
In addition to communication difficulties, aphasia also significantly affects the daily life of the individual and their family, because people with aphasia often face a loss of independence, the inability to return to work, and feelings of loneliness, disappointment, and helplessness. This was stated by people with aphasia and their families, who emphasized how important it is to overcome the initial fear together and spend quality time every day motivating people with aphasia to achieve their full potential.
