JCC Cuts Ribbon on Aphasia Center

Burdened with impaired cognitive and communication skills, those living with aphasia know that everyday can be a struggle. And while recovery is a long road, the local JCC MetroWest is now offering a helping hand. 

On Thursday, June 7, members of the JCC and local officials cut the ribbon on the recently added Adler Aphasia Center at the JCC.

Executive Director of the Aphasia Center and official ribbon cutter Karen Tucker said, “I think the goal is to make the JCC more of a community-based center that serves the needs of all people in our community, and this is another major population within their community.”

The problem is, said Jill Tekel, chair of the Adler Aphasia Center advisory committee and local West Orange resident, aphasia is “not something you talk about. We don’t know how many people out there are stricken with the disease. Everyone of us probably know someone with the disease ... and now there is a place to go.” 

Aphasia commonly affects stroke and brain injury survivors, although many may not know they have it. The most noticeable symptoms affect the person’s ability to speak and walk, usually impairing the right side of the body -- leg and arm movement. Rehabilitation can take years and an exorbitant amount of money. 

“It’s a tip-of-the-tongue feeling,” said Tucker for those affected by the disease, and they are unable to find the words to describe things. “But they can improve over their lifetime with the right support. ... The brain has the plasticity to be able to regenerate new pathways." 

The center at the JCC has taken more than a year to come to fruition, and has been operating for nearly a month. There are about 24 Adler Aphasia Center’s in the country, the closest being in nearby Maywood, which will be celebrating its ten-year anniversary this year. 

“It is a perfect fit here for the JCC,” said Director of Development and Communication for the JCC Elissa Goldstein, “because our goal and our mission is to get people acclimated back into the community.” 

The aphasia rehabilitation center at the JCC, which now has about seven members, will participate in handwriting and speaking instruction, cooking and dancing classes, and other activities to bring them back into the swing of life. 

Mayor Robert Parisi, who was also on hand at the ribbon cutting, said, “This is just another example of a really well intentioned group of people getting together and they really can produce miracles.”