Ruth Townsend

Speech Pathologist - Adult rehabilitation & aged care.
Working with people with communication disability to improve the healthcare experience.
Mother to three

[Ruth Townsend @SpeechieRuth]

@MichelleCimoli @drmiketodorovic My six year old asked me last night what the frontal lobe is. I've obviously been talking about it too much at home! Wish I'd had your Youtube to help explain @drmiketodorovic 🧠 #SLPeeps

[Ruth Townsend @SpeechieRuth]

@MarcellaC_SP @DrRobOH #AphasiaCREchat Thanks Marcella and Robyn, Ciara and Caroline and everyone, It's been a very engaging introduction to the twitterverse!

[Ruth Townsend @SpeechieRuth]

@aphasiacre #AphasiaCREchat Q.4 Build on our connections with our patients to share their stories, their insights, our learnings. The dream: People with communication disability feeling able to self advocate and complain about the hospital food just like everyone else!

[Ruth Townsend @SpeechieRuth]

@TSheldrick @tshedrick #aphasiacrechat oh, it's lovely to tweet with you too. I'm a newbie. Think I sent my Intro off into the twitterverse....elsewhere?!!

[Ruth Townsend @SpeechieRuth]

@MarcellaC_SP #aphasiacrechat I know, it's awful @MarcellaC_SP but it's a recurring theme of their feedback. The flipside is that the benefits of working with our consumers co-designing and delivering healthcare communication training are enormous for them, us and staff

[Ruth Townsend @SpeechieRuth]

@aphasiacre Q.3 #aphasiaCREchat Common feedback from consumers is feeling overseen & uninvited to their own healthcare interactions. Culture is key: connecting & partnership. As one consumer tells us on repeat “be kind”! @FreerMary #compassionrevolution

[Ruth Townsend @SpeechieRuth]

@MarcellaC_SP #aphasiacrechat Yes, and now that all healthcare workers are experiencing communication breakdown there's less of an inclinination to blame the patient!

[Ruth Townsend @SpeechieRuth]

@MarcellaC_SP @ConorGilligan18 @aphasiacre @conorgilligan @katiecarrigg #AphasiaCREchat @MarcellaC_SP Incredibly well by our Graduate Nursing Program and more experienced nurses and allied health too. We built the program with our consumers and their stories and insights are the clincher

[Ruth Townsend @SpeechieRuth]

@aphasiacre Q.2 #aphasiaCREchat Use of PPE & social distancing = communication breakdown for everyone, not just those with communication disability! Photo badges, COVID AAC (thanks @aphasiaCRE), ward rounds & SP services using telehealth & electronic whiteboards - new in response to COVID

[Ruth Townsend @SpeechieRuth]

@ConorGilligan18 @aphasiacre #aphasiacrechat Sounds interesting @ConorGilligan Myself and @katiecarrigg have recently built an online education program for our doctors, nurses, allied health to help support their learning in this area

[Ruth Townsend @SpeechieRuth]

#aphasiacreQ.1 #aphasiaCREchat Core to our role as speechies! With all our consumers we need to ask: Do they have a way of expressing their needs & opinions & can they understand to participate? We need to support & empower the person, the point of care staff and family