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    Speech Therapy as a Home Care Service

    Speech therapy can improve overall communication and swallowing abilities. Individual treatment plans are designed to: reteach speaking, reading, or writing;improve auditory comprehension; improve orientation, memory and judgement skills; strengthen oral muscles for speech and swallowing; teach esophageal speech or use of electro-larynx; or develop alternative communication systems.

    Patient Types Referred for Speech Therapy

    Neuro patients

    • Right CVA: Associated problems may include cognitive changes, visual field deficits affecting reading, speech, or swallowing
    • Left CVA: Associated problems may include receptive and/or expressive aphasia (problems with reading or auditory comprehension, word finding or verbal fluency, writing or mathematical calculations), speech intelligibility, swallowing
    • Parkinson's: Associated problems may include reduced speech intelligibility, swallowing decline and weak voice/volume and poor breath control
    • ALS, MS, and other neurological diagnoses: Associated problems typically include speech, swallowing and/or decresaed functional communication ability

    Head/Neck Cancer Patients

    • Associated problems may include:
    • Oral motor issues due to surgery or radiation
    • Speech intelligbility
    • Swallowing
    • Lack of functional communication/need for alternative communication (e.g., electrolarynx)
    • Cognitive Decline if mets present (to brain)

    Post-Surgery Patients

    • Associated problems may include difficulty swallowing due to edema from intubation

    Pneumonia/Septic Patients

    • Associated problems may include difficulty swallowing due to weakness and confusion/temporary cogntivie changes

    Dementia Patients

    • Associated problems include cognitive decline as expected. In the early stages, speech therapy may be appropriateif there is an able caregiver to assist with compensatory strategies. In the later stages of dementia, problems with swallowing may be noted

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    Common Problems Referred for Speech Therapy

    • Swallowing/Oral-motor
    • Speech Intelligibility
    • Auditory Comprehension
    • Reading Comprehension
    • Verbal Fluency/Word Finding
    • Writing Ability
    • Cognitive Ability
    • Functional Communication
    • Alaryngeal Speech
    • Voice Disorders

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