Employing a home health speech therapist like our online speech therapist from Better Speech, is a wonderful way to help you participate in speech-language therapy when you need accommodations that an outpatient facility cannot provide, is not available, or are too inconvenient.
In this article we will discuss:
Getting speech therapy via a home health service is ideal for patients who are still rehabilitating, don’t have access to transportation, may not have a resource that is convenient, are homebound or facing any number of limiting situations. Especially now, with more of us looking for services at home, a home health service may be the best solution for you.
What is home health speech therapy and who is it for?
Speech therapy is a program designed for people with disorders related to communication, cognition, and oral/feeding/swallowing skills.
The adult demographic for home health speech therapy is largely seniors, with ages 70+ ranking the highest. Senior citizens are more likely to need speech therapy for dementia, stroke, swallowing difficulty, and weakened vocal cords.
Speech-language pathologists are trained professionals that assess these disorders and design therapy programs to improve quality of life or even eradicate the disorder, where possible. They must hold a Master’s degree in their field, be licensed by the State, and most will have a clinical certification (CCC) from American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA).
Get home health speech therapy for seniors
Speech-language pathologists can help with:
Cognitive-communication
Reading and Writing
Alternative means of communication with technology and other tools
Strengthening muscles in the mouth, jaw, neck, etc.
Home health speech-language therapy is ideal in situations where patients could participate in therapy more successfully from the comfort of their home. A home health speech-language therapist is able to provide direct, one-on-one interactions, and design therapy activities tailored to the home environment.
Informed Caregivers
Home health speech-language pathologists, like those from Better Speech, are informed caregivers that have the advantage of interacting with their client while they are in their home. These reasons also lead to better "continuity of care," and "generalization."
Continuity of Care
By interacting in the home environment, family members and caregivers may participate and are likely to encourage exercises and activities in between sessions, leading to the patient getting more practice each week and improved outcomes.
Generalization
Generalization occurs when one learns one thing with a speech-language pathologist in one context, and is then able to apply the same concept or practice in another context successfully. Home health speech-language pathologists can help patients achieve this because their therapies may be customized and designed to the patient’s real-life.
When a patient learns something new in a clinic, they run the risk of only learning how to use it within the parameters of a clinic with their speech pathologist. When they’re learning new concepts as applied to their normal, day-to-day life, it builds stronger connections because they’ll be frequently interacting with the personally relevant material, like their own silverware, or their collection of books.
Home Health Speech Therapy for Seniors
It’s no secret that as a person grows older, they’re more likely to experience any number of issues related to communication, cognition, and oral functionality. Part of a speech-language pathologist’s training is learning how to treat these issues specifically for a geriatric patient.
The goal of speech therapy for elderly patients is to increase functional communication, and cognitive skills, teach safe swallowing or determine if their issues are caused by other factors like diet, dehydration, or medications.
Dementia
Speech therapy can actually help improve the consequences of dementia for patients and change their quality of life. Dementia affects a person’s cognitive abilities as they age. By undergoing speech therapy, home health practices can aid in preserving essential brain functions for communication, attention, memory, and problem-solving.
Stroke
After experiencing a stroke, patients may to have aphasia, a communication disorder that can affect a person’s ability to use and process language. Aphasia is extremely common in stroke victims, so much so that speech therapy is generally recommended as a treatment immediately after the stroke. The faster therapy is started, the faster a patient can improve.
Swallowing Issues
Speech therapy can be effective for seniors who develop swallowing problems as they get older. Similar to weakened vocal cords, which we’ll discuss next, the muscles associated with swallowing can degrade with age or become damaged after an accident. By working with a home health speech therapist, a senior can improve their abilities to chew and swallow from the comfort of their own home.
Weakened Vocal Cords
It's well-known that as people get older, their vocal cords start to break down due to the natural aging process. As you age, your vocal cords and larynx will both weaken, which may make conversation difficult. Speech therapy can help counteract this degradation by providing exercises for re-learning how to talk and communicate effectively.
Why you should consider home health speech-language therapy for seniors
As one age and their ability to communicate degrades while their list of issues rises, not being able to say when they need help can lead to a life-threatening situation. But in general, communication is at the core of our relationships. Maintaining one's ability to communicate is crucial for the quality of life.
At Better Speech, we offer online speech therapy services convenient for you and tailored to your child's individual needs. Our services are affordable and effective - get Better Speech now.
About the Author
Cheri Gipson
I am a speech-language pathologist who specializes in language skills and pronunciation. I obtained my Master’s of Science degree in Speech-Language Pathology from Western Illinois University and I have worked in the field of speech pathology for over 20 years. One of the things I enjoy most is helping people learn.
In my spare time, I enjoy writing tips on how to improve online teaching for both the larger language schools and also as a private ESL teacher. Teaching is my passion, and I love seeing students make progress. Every day is a new adventure, and I am grateful for the opportunity to help people learn and grow!
