To suffer from aphasia could mean that a most important ability of human nature is lost and could therefore restrict the patient's communication ability. Therefore a higher standard is of importance in the non-verbal communication. Health professionals describe difficulties in understanding this form of communication. This causes disturbance in the interaction and nursing care cannot be adapted to the unique human being. The purpose of this literature review is to highlight and summarize existing research, describing how the various non-verbal communication channels are integrated, in nursing care to patients affected by stroke and aphasia. In the method of this literature review searches were made from the databases Cinahl and Medline. The 12 articles that were included has been quality examined and analyzed according to Friberg (2006). The results describe how the speaking body, support for the unique human being, bodily contact and relationships are important for the understanding of the nonverbal communication. The discussion revolves around how this understanding is formed in the interaction, to be able to see the unique human being and create relationships that provide external support for the human needs here and now. The four categories that are presented in this study may increase the knowledge of the studied phenomena and could also be the ground for further studies in this area.