Speech Therapy

As we age, our vocal cords naturally become less elastic and our larynx muscles weaker. Your senior loved one may find that their voice changes in pitch and that it is harder to speak for long periods without resting.  You might find that you need to listen more closely to hear and understand what they have to say. Seniors who have undergone surgery or been diagnosed with an illness often have an even harder time communicating.

The ability to communicate is undeniably important in our world. It is what helps us maintain connections with family and friends. Without it, seniors are more likely to feel isolated, so don’t wait to get help. Our at-home speech therapy services can help your loved one regain and maintain their communication skills. The goal of speech therapy is to overcome issues relating to speech and language comprehension. It can also help seniors who have difficulty swallowing due to an underlying condition.

Speech therapy has been proven useful in a wide range of conditions, including:

  • Dementia
  • Certain types of cancer, especially if treatment involved radiation to the head or neck
  • Stroke
  • Hearing loss
  • Parkinson’s disease
  • Alzheimer’s disease
  • Neurological diseases
  • Complications due to pneumonia
  • Gastroesophageal reflux disease
  • Head injury
  • Difficulty with swallowing and the process of eating
  • Difficulty communicating with and understanding others
  • Memory loss or disorientation
  • Speech difficulties
  • Difficulty with written language
  • Any condition that causes general decline, weakness, or confusion

Prior to treatment, our speech therapists will conduct a thorough assessment in the comfort of your loved one’s home. They will consider any pre-existing conditions and diagnoses and how these may affect speech and language abilities. They will assess your loved one’s cognitive-communication skills: how well they understand and remember information. The assessment will also include an evaluation of your loved one’s eating and swallowing abilities.

Our speech therapists can:

  • Help make taking medications more comfortable
  • Teach vocal exercises
  • Teach exercises that make eating and swallowing easier
  • Provide tips on compensating for speech difficulty
  • Help research and implement alternative methods of communication

For speech therapy to be most effective, it should begin as soon as possible. Some seniors may feel self-conscious about their need for speech treatment. Having speech therapy at home is an effective and private alternative to traditional therapy options.  At-home speech therapy makes it easy for family and friends to get involved, too.  Our skilled speech therapists will help you and your loved one pave the path to better communication.