Pergola Hospital: A Comedy of Communication
Ah, Pergola Hospital! Not just a place for recovering after a nasty spill on your bike or a culinary disaster where you mistook salt for sugar in your famous lasagna. No, it’s shaping up to be the new frontier in healthcare communication. Seriously, who knew that hospitals could also be places of such innovation? It’s like someone took the concept of verbal communication and thought, “Let’s add a bit of flair!” Enter: Alternative Augmentative Communication, or AAC for short. It’s not just a mouthful; it’s a whole new way for patients to express themselves when they are, let’s face it, in less-than-ideal conditions!
The Director Speaks: Alberto Carelli on the Future of Communication
Now, if you’re going to talk about communication, it makes sense to start with the big cheese himself, Alberto Carelli, the general director at Ast Pesaro Urbino. This man doesn’t merely walk the walk; he talks the talk (though perhaps not always verbally). He explains that the project aims to support those who have had their voice taken away—not by an evil witch in a fairy tale, mind you, but by real-life circumstances like strokes and intubation! Who knew hospitals could be filled with such drama? It’s like a soap opera without the over-the-top emotional music.
And let’s not forget the anxiety and frustration that can arise in these settings. If you’ve ever been stuck in a hospital bed, you know exactly what I’m talking about. It’s not just the nurses waking you up at 3 a.m. for a blood pressure check; it’s the sheer inability to communicate your woes. Carelli’s genius proposal aims to ease that tension—because if communication is key, then augmenting it with helpful tools feels like a solid game plan!
Innovative Tools: Making Communication Accessible
Enter Giacomo Maurizi, the head honcho of intensive rehab at Pergola. This chap is on a mission. He talks about crafting personalized communication strategies—think of it as tailor-made suits for your tongue! Gone are the days of relying exclusively on verbal communication. Maurizi is like a maestro at a symphony of symbols. It’s a continually evolving project that not only draws from the expertise of various professionals but one that adds a dollop of individuality. If traditional hospital communication is like a flat soda, Maurizi is bringing in the fizz!
And what about the communication tables? Oh yes, you heard that right! These handy-dandy boards are like a buffet of symbols, images, and words, easy to use whether you’re communicating to your doctor or desperately trying to get your favorite nurse’s attention to change that awful hospital gown! Made from materials you might find at your local arts and crafts store—paper, wood, and plastic—these tables can be customized to fit your individual needs, kind of like building your own sandwich at a deli only less delicious and more life-saving!
Rehabilitation Health: The Unsung Heroes
Giovanna Diotallevi, the manager of rehabilitation health professions, dives deeper into the mechanics of AAC. She stresses that this isn’t about replacing verbal communication. No, it’s about giving it a little nudge, like your friend who keeps insisting you try a new hairstyle—biological hair transplant not included! The primary aim? To assist those who have lost their communicative function and yet yearn for the companionship of words. Verbal language can feel a tad shy at times, and guess what? AAC is here to help it overcome its stage fright!
The Politics of Progress: A Regional Nod
Our very own regional health councilor, Filippo Saltamartini, jumped into the fray to applaud the innovation at Pergola. This isn’t just a win for the patients; it’s also one for the healthcare professionals, who can finally breathe a sigh of relief while not having to guess what their patients are trying to say through mumbles and gestures. It’s like finally solving the riddle of why your socks disappear in the washing machine! The sheer brilliance of this project could very well be the poster-child for a revitalized healthcare system in the Marche region.
Conclusion: A New Era of Hospital Communication
So, to wrap it up, Pergola Hospital is stepping onto the world stage, armed with tools that would impress even the most seasoned stand-up comic. Let’s face it: effective communication is as vital in healthcare as a good punchline in a comedy sketch. With this progressive approach, the model being implemented is sure to bring a touch of humanity back into the sterile world of hospitals. Who knew that a trip to the hospital could evolve beyond IV drips and the smell of antiseptic to encompass a full-blown communication renaissance? Bravo, Pergola Hospital! Your move towards AAC is certainly one for the history books—cue the applause!
PERGOLA The intensive rehabilitation structure of the Pergola hospital activates a project to improve communication between patient and operator. ‘Alternative augmentative communication’ is born.
The director of Ast Carelli
«The project – explains the general director of Ast Pesaro Urbino Alberto Carelli – was conceived to provide support to people with communication-linguistic difficulties with a specific focus on patients hospitalized in intensive care. When the ability to communicate is compromised, due to congenital or acquired causes including endotracheal intubation, stroke and language barriers (foreign users), significant difficulties can arise especially in contexts such as hospitals, creating and expanding anxiety and frustration of patients and healthcare personnel . The project was born thanks to the help of internal staff who make the structure an excellence for the hinterland.”
Alternative augmentative communication includes all forms of communication that support or replace verbal communication, making use of compensatory strategies and paper and digital tools, such as communication tables with the letters of the alphabet and technological tools such as vocal synthesizers and electronic aids, use of images, drawings and symbols. «A continually evolving project – continues Giacomo Maurizi, director of intensive rehabilitation of the single hospital unit -. The specific skills of the various professionals can bring innovative solutions and value to the project, contributing to the creation of new paths, even personalized and tailored to the patient based on specific needs.”
Giovanna Diotallevi, manager of the rehabilitation health professions, goes into detail about alternative augmentative communication: «it is useful for people who have lost their communicative function and need assistance to express their needs. It does not aim to replace verbal language but on the contrary, as it is augmentative, it provides for the simultaneous presence of an alternative instrument and standard oral verbal language, which accompanies the symbol visually and orally, with the help of the communicative partner who pronounces it loudly. voice. Augmentative communication does not inhibit the possible emergence of verbal language, but aims to enhance it.”
The supporting tables
To achieve this objective, several communication tables have been created to simplify and improve communication between patients and healthcare professionals. They are made from materials such as paper, plastic or wood and include symbols, images, letters, words or phrases, and can be customized to individual needs. «The path of innovation of healthcare in the Marche continues, which also involves the intensive rehabilitation of Pergola – declares the regional health councilor Filippo Saltamartini -. The new project will improve the quality of services provided to patients, while facilitating the work of healthcare professionals. The Pergola hospital boasts highly competent professionals who make this center an excellence.”
