Understanding the Experience of Driving With a Passenger with Aphasia

Thursday, 5:15pm
Exhibit Hall 1AB
Poster 16
Under most circumstances, adult passengers provide minimal distraction when conversing with their drivers. One possible exception arises when a person with aphasia is a passenger in an automobile driven by a person without aphasia. This study aimed to understand and describe the experience of driving when a passenger with aphasia is present. Nine adults, who regularly serve as the primary driver of a person with aphasia, were each interviewed on two separate occasions. Interview data were transcribed and analyzed using thematic analysis. From 18 transcriptions, 3 main themes (communicating, helping and adapting) and 5 subthemes (time constraints, communication strategies, topic avoidance, avoiding accidents, and navigating) emerged. Findings from this study revealed that additional clinical research on this topic could improve the quality of life for people with aphasia and their spouses/caregivers.
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