Drumroll. It’s finally official. We’re announcing LUNAonline!
COVID-19 certainly stopped us in our phase 5 recruitment tracks, and we’ve spent the last 12 weeks re-thinking, adapting, planning and preparing.
We’ve noted with great interest how rapidly our clinical colleagues needed to adapt and have embraced tele-rehabilitation, and how swiftly and successfully voluntary sector groups supporting people with aphasia have shifted to online and alternative support systems.
We’re delighted now to share our news that LUNA is moving online. Yes, that’s right, the entire therapy project will now be delivered over Zoom.
Further news is that we can recruit now from anywhere in the UK (providing there’s good internet connection!) and we are piloting the therapy with everyone who comes into the therapy project (up to 24 people with aphasia).
We are recruiting now (June, July, and August) and spaces are limited, so please get in touch with us if you are interested. People can make a direct self-referral by emailing us at the address listed at the bottom of this blog posting.
Here’s some information about our study
[if you click the hyperlinks below, they will take you to other information on the internet about our project – so you can find out more about LUNA]
LUNA is a speech therapy research project for stroke survivors with aphasia.
The research project is run by researchers at City, University of London.
The research is funded by The Stroke Association.
We have worked in true partnership with 4 people with aphasia and 4 speech and language therapists to develop this new therapy.
We hope this makes the therapy as meaningful as possible.
The therapy is designed to help people tell personal stories again – many people with aphasia find it hard to put words and sentences together to share stories and experiences they have had in their life with other people.
The therapy will last 10 weeks and will involve 2 sessions per week of 60 minutes.
There will also be some assessments and questionnaires before and after the therapy.
There will also be an interview after the therapy to find out people’s views of taking part.
Here are some questions to check whether LUNAonline will be suitable for you
These are for the person with aphasia:
- Have you had a stroke more than 12 months ago?
- Do you have aphasia following the stroke?
- Did you speak English before your stroke? (the therapy is in English)
- Have you finished NHS speech and language therapy?
- Do you have a computer, laptop or tablet at home?
- Do you have an email address, or someone close to you (for example, family member) who has an email address?
- Do you have a good internet connection in your home?
- Are you happy to download Zoom on your device? (it is free – we have some materials to help you learn how to do this and also use it during the therapy)
If you answered YES to all of the questions, LUNAonline could be suitable for you.
If you have severe aphasia or very mild aphasia LUNAonline is not suitable for you.
Please get in touch with us to find out more about the project and chat with our team. We will help work out whether LUNAonline could be suitable for you.
Email us on luna@city.ac.uk
We would love to hear from you!