Nonverbal Communication Systems for the Severely Handicapped Geriatric Patients

Abstract

A communication system was developed and tested with geriatric patients. The incoordination and general weakness of patients presented special problems for the research team. Special switches were developed to activate the system which could be manipulated by minimal patient movement. The systems designed for communication of severely handicapped geriatric patients were developed with cost as a major consideration. Emphasis was placed on simple, reliable operation with low initial cost and minimal maintenance. Three communication boards were developed ranging from a simple basic communication system to an advanced board capable of sentence transmission.