Speech and Language Therapist creates first-ever inpatient choir in Wales to help post-stroke patients find their voice

A Speech and Language Therapist at Cardiff and Vale University Health Board has combined her passion for music with language therapy to jointly create the first-ever inpatient choir in Wales to help post-stroke patients overcome their communication challenges.  

From working alongside some of the world’s greatest musicians as a professional viola player in London to becoming a speech and language therapist, Esther Goodhew alongside Vicky Guise, looked at the potential benefits of an aphasia-friendly choir to help give people diagnosed with the condition their voice back through music. 

Aphasia is a condition that affects a person's ability to communicate. It usually occurs after damage to the brain, often from a stroke or head injury. People with aphasia may have difficulty speaking, understanding language, reading or writing. 

Research has previously shown how valuable community singing-based rehabilitations can be for people with Post Stroke Communication Impairment (PSCI).  

Esther, who received funding for the study a Research Capacity Building Collaboration (RCBC) Wales First into Research Fellowship, said she first saw the value of combining music with language therapy after one of her family members used the service, adding: “It introduces new means of communication to people and I see music as another aspect of communication.”  

Staff in the Stroke Team reported that the choir provided an opportunity to strengthen the relationship between the patient and the Multidisciplinary Team (MDT) looking after them, with patients prioritising and co-producing their own rehabilitation goals.  

The opinions of the MDT highlighted the benefits of attending an inpatient choir, by enhancing an individual’s communication, confidence and well-being and placing the patient’s voice at the centre of their rehabilitation. 

Esther added: “The ability to embed therapy goals from other disciplines within a choir session was wonderful.” 

Esther is now keen to set up a permanent aphasia-friendly choir within Cardiff and Vale University Health Board to make it a new therapy service available to all post-stroke patients.  

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