Speech Therapy

At some point in your life, you or your loved one may experience a condition or illness that results in alteration of your speech.In this situation, speech language pathologists, also called speech therapists, are the professionals that will likely become involved in your care.  These professionals will assess, diagnose, and develop a treatment plan to help to prevent communication and swallowing disorders that also could arise.  Speech, language, and swallowing disorders result from a variety of causes, such as a stroke, brain injury, hearing loss, developmental delay, a cleft palate, cerebral palsy, or emotional problems.

To diagnose, speech therapists(ST) typically evaluate patients by initially communicating with them to evaluate their levels of speech or language difficulty to gain a baseline in order to decide upon treatment goals.  During evaluation the speech therapist will determine the extent of communication problems by having the patient complete basic reading and vocalizing tasks, or by administering a simple standardized test.  From the information the ST gathers, a treatment plan will then be formulated specific to each patient with measurable goals that will be worked toward and met to improve their condition, ideally to finally end up near or at the level of speech they were using prior to them requiring therapy services.

The Speech Therapist provides skilled therapy interventions in the treatment of the patient illness, rehabilitative needs and preventative care.  He/she utilizes a holistic approach in the provision of ongoing assessments, problem identification and specific therapeutic interventions, teaching and training activities.  The Speech Therapist is responsible to provide service in accordance with accepted standards of clinical practice, to facilitate problem solution, and thereby, the achievement of individualized patient goals and outcomes.

As far as treatment goes, speech therapists will typically teach patients how to make sounds to improve their voices.  Also, patients will be taught alternative communication methods, such as sign language if the prognosis of their speech is poor due to having little or no speech capability.  If needed for the current situation, speech therapists may work with patients to improve their ability to read and write correctly.  Plus, patients may be educated on how to develop, or restore, and strengthen the muscles used to swallow.  Education and support will be provided in great deal to family and/or caregivers to provide ways to cope with communication disorders.

Speech therapy professionals work with patients who ultimately have problems with speech.  Their patient population may be unable to speak at all or they may have rhythm and fluency problems, such as stuttering.  They also may work with those individuals who are unable to understand language or with those who have voice disorders, such as inappropriate pitch or a harsh voice.  Just like every other medical professional, speech therapists have to keep accurate records.  These records are kept private and include initial patient evaluations and diagnoses, progress of treatment, any changes in a patient’s condition or treatment plan that have come up during therapy, and finally, they complete a final evaluation when patient is finished with therapy services.

In conjunction with treatment from other providers on the interdisciplinary health care team and per the orders of a provider speech therapy can be an option if your situation requires it.  The course of treatment will be specific for each individual situation, and the final outcomes may vary.  Some individuals may progress much quicker than others.  The treatment, as always is performed as tolerated per the patient themselves.  The patient needs should always be met first before attempting to provide care, to ensure the best possible results.  Caregivers should also be provided with as much as support that is needed, as an alteration in speech could pose a hard situation for loved ones to adapt to because it deviates from the norms we expect.

Total Home Health has a program available to provide speech therapy services in the home for individuals once they are referred by their primary provider.  Skilled professional visits will be performed per your specific treatment plan so that you can regain the ability to communicate with those around you as best as possible.  As a part of Total Home Health you will not be alone in your journey; our compassionate staff will be here for you every step of the way!