MIND WORKS for Alheimer Patients, Stroke and Brain Damage Survivors

Dr. Connie Lynch, Ph.D. has developed a specialized therapy for stroke survivors. MIND WORKS promotes mental fitness by providing regular sessions of stimulating mental exercises. Participants in her program are given activities designed to strengthen areas of mental functioning affected by their condition.

Clients might be given objects to identify and describe in terms of color, texture, weight, and function. They are asked to give the opposites of words, to describe what they see in a photograph, what a line from a poem means. Clients could be asked to list how many vegetables they can name which begin with the letter "g"; how many different flowers they can name; or what items are found in a kitchen, living room, or garage.

These exercises enhance verbal retrieval skills. Clients experience very little performance anxiety because the therapist's tone is light and humorous. Dr. Lynch works with two clients a week during her one-hour sessions.

At the end of the six-week session, she assesses the person's  strengths and weaknesses and suggests exercises family members can continue at home.

The need for this kind of innovative therapy cannot be overemphasized.

Return to