Judi shares her experience with the brain tumour affecting her husband, Nick’s, ability to communicate and gives tips on the importance of open communication.
Living with a relative or friend with a brain tumour that has caused communication issues can be difficult as the presence of the tumour can affect these skills (ability to speak, understand, read and write) in different ways. Communication with the person with a brain tumour can be compromised by several things, and it may be helpful to take a different approach or use new tools to help communication.
Carers may try to communicate as they always have, as if there has been no change. However, for a person with a brain tumour experiencing speech difficulty, confusion, fatigue, and personality change, attempting to communicate may be exhausting and frustrating. Taking a different approach may help, depending on the individual and the changes that have occurred.
Click here for a Fact Sheet that shows a set of scenarios illustrating common difficulties with communication and may help toward better communication.
Communication without words
Some people with cancer report emotional pain due to lack of touch by those they love. Warm eye contact, a squeeze of the shoulder as you pass through the room, holding hands as you watch TV together, a gentle bear hug, brushing the person’s hair or a kiss from a grandchild can sometimes communicate a feeling where words fail.
Reading and writing
Reading and writing difficulties are often one of the early symptoms that people with brain tumours experience. This can be very frustrating as it limits the person’s ability to participate in daily activities such as reading the newspaper, ordering in a restaurant or following instructions on how to take medication. Completing Medicare forms, writing down phone messages and using e-mail may become very difficult. If you become aware that the person with a brain tumour is having difficulty with their reading or writing skills there are strategies that can be used to compensate for these difficulties. Let your doctor know and ask for a referral to see a Speech Pathologist who will be able to assess the difficulties and provide you with ideas on how best to manage the problem.
Communication: The role of the speech pathologist
After assessing a person’s communication skills, the Speech Pathologist may be able to provide:
- An outline of a person’s current abilities and their difficulties.
- Strategies, aids and activities to assist communication.
Speak to your Doctor, Cancer Nurse Coordinator or other health professional to organise a referral for your relative or friend.