Supporting spiritual health in dementia using the WELLHEAD Toolkit: A ‘story-tale’ from a person with logopenic aphasia

ABSTRACT

Little is known about the spirituality of people with logopenic aphasia (language-led dementia), including assessment and support. This article presents a single case study from a case series of ten people with various aphasia-types and different religious backgrounds who were recruited after discharge from speech and language therapy (SLT). Based on work with ‘Mr Grey’, it illustrates the use of the ‘WELLHEAD Toolkit’ for assessing and supporting spiritual health. A group of people with aphasia and diverse backgrounds co-produced the resources and steered the research. The Toolkit provides communication support and structure for eliciting interviews about ‘meaning and purpose’ in life. It enables religiously neutral non-judgmental listening and facilitates reflection using Picture and Word Resources, incorporating self-scores, an agreed summary, and goal-setting. Sessions were videoed along with a feedback interview. Participants’ reflections, measures, and verification were integral to the findings from the case series. Findings were analysed via systematic interpretive thematic analysis, verified by an independent researcher. Key themes in Mr Grey’s case are presented in narrative form to respect his own words, interpreted and verified for meaning, within his search for synthesis of his fragmented story. His story-telling brought him catharsis concerning relationships, religious beliefs and sense of self, whilst helping him to frame future goals. Follow-up confirmed the value of enabling chaplaincy referral as a result of the interviews. This helped him towards resolving historical grief before further language deterioration. Limitations and potential future applications of the WELLHEAD Toolkit are discussed.

KEYWORDS:

• Aphasia
• dementia
• spiritual health
• wellbeing
• communication support
• narrative

Acknowledgments

The involvement of all the participants with aphasia in the research steering group and the feasibility study is warmly recognised. The study was unfunded, but R&D at Weston Area Health NHS Trust provided NVivo software and premises for the interviews. Thanks to Revd. David Grace for chaplaincy support, and Dr Hazel Roddam for independent verification of the analysis.

Disclosure statement

The author reports no conflict of interest during the research. Recent publication of the WELLHEAD Toolkit took place four years after completion of the research, and all activity was undertaken by the author on a voluntary basis.

Notes

1 Speech and Language Therapy (SLT) is used interchangeably with SLP (Speech-Language Pathology).

2 ‘WELLHEAD’ is derived from the initial consonants of the four dimensions WIDE, LONG, HIGH and DEEP which form part of its framework. It also adopts the imagery of a life-giving well of water, and the additional meaning associated with ‘wellness’. See: https://www.wellhead.org.uk/ [Accessed 3 February 2023].

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Katharyn Mumby

Katharyn Mumby is the Founder and Director of New Pathways Speech & Language Therapy and Consultancy, UK; She is also a Licensed Lay Minister in the Diocese of Exeter, UK.