The Centre for Language and Communication Science Research at the School of Health and Psychological Sciences, City, University of London welcomes Sabine Corsten and Norina Lauer to discuss their findings on how apps can be adapted to stimulate and support interaction of people with aphasia as well as elderly, as part of the research seminar series.
Abstract
People with aphasia (PWA) and older people often suffer from limited social participation and reduced quality of life (QoL). Digital solutions, such as apps, can stimulate and support interaction, but must be adapted to the specific needs of PWA as well as elderly. In the project PeerPAL a digital social network was developed together with PWA to stimulate both digital and analogue contacts between peers.
The study is conducted in pretest and posttest waiting control group design with 49 PWA. We will introduce the app and report on the initial effects on quality of life and social participation. The project PeerPAL is being carried out by OTH Regensburg and KH Mainz and is funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (13FH077SA8/B8).
In the project BaSeTaLK we developed an app together with older people for tablet-based biography work in long-term care homes to support QoL and prevent depression.
We examined the effect of tablet-based biography work conducted by volunteers on the QoL of residents and volunteers in a mixed-methods pretest-posttest control group design. We will present the app and the final results of the study. The project BaSeTaLK was carried out by KH Mainz and OTH Regensburg and is funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (13FH515SA7/B7).
About the speakers
Dr. Sabine Corsten, Professor for Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences (Speech Therapy), employed by Catholic University of Applied Sciences, Mainz, Germany has focused her research on participatory and quality of life-oriented interventions for aphasia and in old age.
Her research explores how identity changes after having aphasia. She is currently involved in the development of digital solutions to support biography work and social networking in aphasia and in old age.
Norina Lauer is a professor of speech and language therapy at the Ostbayerische Technische Hochschule (OTH) Regensburg, a university of applied sciences in Germany.
She is an academic speech and language therapist and worked clinically for several years before teaching first at vocational schools and later at universities of applied sciences. She conducts research on digitalization and telerehabilitation as well as quality of life and participation, especially in aphasia and older people.
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