Speech therapy is the process of training and educating people with speech related issues on how to speak more easily and clearly. Speech therapy services cover a wider array of issues that aging seniors face such as communication issues, cognitive issues, swallowing disorders and more. Common disorders that would require and significantly benefit from speech therapy services are cognitive communication, aphasia, articulation, dysarthria disorders and more!
Who Needs Speech Therapy?
Speech Therapy is a great tool for all elderly individuals! As our cognitive and physical abilities decline, many seniors experience speech or swallowing issues simply because of aging and the long-term use of their muscles. Those who have recently experienced an injury such as a stroke or brain injury, or have been diagnosed with dementia or Alzheimer’s, can also significantly benefit from Speech Therapy as speech is often severely impaired.
Why is Speech Therapy Beneficial?
Improves Communication Skills and Confidence
The ability to properly communicate is a skill that is necessary for everyone! If your loved one is experiencing an inability to communicate or is straining themselves to do so, speech therapy can help. Communication is vital for aging seniors and is needed to properly manage all matters of their life. Those struggling with their ability to communicate can feel defeated, insecure, and unsafe. Speech therapy helps to build up their skills and can help them regain their confidence and independence.
Improves Swallowing Issues
Difficulties with chewing and swallowing are an extremely common issue for elderly people. While these issues are incredibly dangerous as they significantly raise the risk of choking, they can also start to limit nutritional intake and can cause malnutrition and other conditions. Swallowing issues are especially concerning for those diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and Dementia, as they are already at high risk for nutritional deficiencies from forgetting to eat and drink. Speech therapy works to strengthen the muscles needed for proper chewing and swallowing.
Strengthens Vocal Cords and Surrounding Muscles
It’s true that the process of aging takes a toll on our ability to speak and communicate. Like any other part of your body, your vocal cords and the muscles that help you produce speech weaken with time or may become paralyzed. Not only can it altogether damage your ability to produce sounds, but it can affect pitch, speed of speech, and can cause you to mix up words.
What Does Speech Therapy Look Like?
At Shaker place, our in-house experienced Speech Therapists work collaboratively with all staff and other providers to ensure that your loved one is receiving the best, and most effective therapeutic care to improve their speech and cognitive function. Some speech therapy services and programs we offer are muscle retraining, which aims to re-strengthen muscles and improve swallowing and vocal abilities, compensatory strategies which involve learning new and different ways to achieve a task, learning how to use communication devices to increase communication and verbal speech and more!
Learn More About Our Speech Therapy Services!
Our experienced team at Shaker Place works with residents to help them gain confidence and improve their communication skills. Our speech therapy services are offered on-site and are tailored to the needs of everyone. Visit our website to learn more about our experienced team!