Chest Heart and Stroke Scotland has helped to develop new technology that can dramatically improve the lives of those living with aphasia

A new app has been launched which can give people their voices back.

Aphasia is most often caused by strokes that occur in areas of the brain that control speech and language. It can affect a person’s ability to understand, speak, read, write and use numbers but it doesn’t affect their intelligence.

The Talk With Me app, developed by Chest Heart and Stroke Scotland with Lawlor Technologies and funded by The Scottish Government, is aimed at supporting people who are experiencing communication difficulties in the initial stages after a stroke. It uses symbols and pictures to communicate basic information and feelings under a wide range of topics using an automated voice.

Stroke survivor, Keith Jenkinson, 62 from Edinburgh, has hailed the new app as a tremendous step forward and believes it will dramatically improve the lives of people like himself who are living with aphasia.

The charity hopes that through increased awareness and the right support they can make a difference to the lives of people who are living with aphasia.

Jane-Claire Judson, chief executive at Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland, said: “We are delighted to have launched our new Talk With Me app which helps people living with aphasia with basic communication and conversation. Everyone deserves the right support after a stroke and we believe that our app can really make a difference to people’s lives.

“It can be a very frightening and isolating time for people after a stroke especially if they have aphasia and are struggling to communicate with their family and the health team.

“We want to be there for people at those initial stages in hospital and back at home to make sure that their voice is still heard. Our new app can help people to communicate with their loved ones and remain part of the conversation.”

Jenkinson knows all too well how scary, frustrating and isolating it can be to lose your voice.

After nearly half a century of hard work as a civil servant, he had finally reached retirement and was ready to enjoy life and get started on all the activities he had planned for so long.

But within just a few months, on 25 July 2018, he had a stroke and his world changed forever.

Jenkinson said: “The loss of speech was immediate. I could understand every word that was being said to me and I had a coherent response in my mind. But that part of my brain which was responsible for sending the speech to my mouth was no longer working.

“I could do no more than “um” and “ah” with a different pitch to try to get my message across.

“The A&E staff knew my wife Rachel was down south and I was on my own. By using my left hand to point, I was able to show them my wife’s mobile number.

“The sister spoke to Rachel and very kindly cradled the phone to my right ear. I could understand everything she was saying and I felt so frustrated that I couldn’t speak to her. All I could do was grunt - I couldn’t get the words out.”

However Jenkinson feels the app can have dramatic impacts for people who are left without speech.

He said: “The Talk With Me App is a tremendous step forward in so many ways. It’s something I wish I had during my own recovery. It’s up to date and easy for stroke survivors to use and carry around with them wherever they go.

“I think the app will dramatically improve the lives of people who have aphasia. It’ll help them have conversations and communicate with their friends and family, and make them feel a part of the world again.”

You can download the free app on the App Store or Google Play, with more information available online.