Below is an excerpt from a letter Suzee Bolton wrote in answer to another stroke caregiver, named Jim. Suzee is a Tex's daughter. She wrote us a very kind letter about her father's success with the Bungalow Software programs. Jim contacted her for more information.

Jim's questions are in italics.
 Suzee's answers are in blue.

In a message dated 5/13/01 11:13:57 AM Central Daylight Time,

Jim  writes:

Jim:  I apologize for intruding in your life but I very much need to get some feedback from you regarding the software.  I read your testimonial on the Bungalow Site.

Suzee:  No intrusion. I am happy to answer your questions. My father  had a massive stroke 2 years ago and is still recovering. His was a massive stroke that totally affected his speech. Other skills still seem good, although he does seem to blank out and become disoriented from time to time.

 My Mother is two weeks post stroke with aphasia.   I see that this companies products are computer software. My mother is  having no real motor trouble but she has trouble "remembering" how to turn > on a CD or other devices. I wonder about such a product's use with her > even with caregiver starting it.

Was your stroke victim a frequent user of computers prior to the stroke?

No, actually he never touched a computer prior to using bungalow.

Was your stroke victim able to use the software as well as simple devices?

He caught on to the premise well each time he used it. But he does need coaching and assistance with each usage.

At what time, post stroke, did your user begin to use the product?

Unfortunately we did not begin with bungalow until about 1 year after the  stroke. I believe if he had started off on it from the beginning he would have progressed more quickly.

Did your speech pathologist suggest it? 

No, It is something we learned about through a publication then sent for a demo. We had his [speech] pathologist review it prior to ordering it. She was most impressed. We did order it and  the pathologist has used it as one of the many exercises. She said she was going go order it for her own use.

I will attest to one thing to you. As my father began to use the speech  software he began to flourish. His cognitive thinking began to improve as well as his motor skills. His speech has improved to some level, but not as much as we had hoped. To have him more aware on a day to day basis is a blessing. I believe if we were able to commit more time to his speech tutoring this could changes. He sooooo want to talk and with what he has conquered so far we do okay communicating.

Jim also interviewed another customer, Helen Talley.