Noteboom The Law Firm

VA Offers New Therapy Program to Veterans Suffering a Stroke

An article in The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review highlighted The Program for Intensive Residential Aphasia Treatment and Education (PIRATE) the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is managing that may be able to help veterans with disabilities that are unable to talk or write due to a stroke.

PIRATE is an "intensive therapy program," that has already seen 39 veterans and 5 active-duty soldiers graduate. The program approaches therapy in a non-traditional manner, in which therapy sessions are performed one-on-one for 6 hours at a time; 5 times a week. The therapy the VA provides in its current 23-day treatment program is equivalent to what's accomplished in more traditional therapy programs over the course of 12 months.

The PIRATE program plans to evaluate 14 veterans through April 14, 2012, with a wait-list of 17 potential patients. The length of therapy may change, depending on further research and the availability of VA grants. The results being seen are very encouraging, and follow up appointments are planned to be conducted via videoconferencing.

Aphasia occurs in people who have suffered either strokes or gunshot wounds to the head, and is a disorder preventing them from being able to communicate. Over a million stroke victims in the U.S. suffer from aphasia. Around 12,000 veterans every year are admitted to VA medical centers due to stroke, and anywhere from 20% - 35% of them have or develop aphasia.

If you are a disabled veteran who has been denied disability compensation or have not yet applied for benefits from the VA, a South Florida disability attorney from LaVan & Neidenberg is ready to help. To learn if you are entitled to certain programs and benefits contact our veterans disability rights firm today - 1-888-234-5758.