6 Signs It’s Time for Your Senior to Start Speech Therapy

Effective communication is important at any age, but it’s especially vital for seniors. Without the ability to describe their needs, concerns, and pain from illness or injury, their physical and emotional health can be at risk. 

While speech difficulties are a common part of the natural aging process—vocal cords become less elastic and larynx muscles weaken—problems can also result from strokes, dementia, and other serious medical conditions. If you have concerns about your loved one’s ability to communicate, here are 6 signs that it’s time for your senior to start speech therapy:

1. Not responding to questions

At first, it might appear that a senior’s lack of response to questions could be the result of age-related hearing loss, but if they already have a hearing aid or the unresponsiveness seems to be intentional, they might be self-conscious about not being able to speak clearly.

2. Relying on nonverbal communication

Another way seniors often hide their diminished speech capacity is by relying on nonverbal communication such as nodding or shaking their head instead of saying “yes” or “no,” pointing at objects instead of requesting them with words, or depending on facial expressions to convey their emotions.

3. Difficulty managing financial, personal, or medical affairs

Even if a senior is not completely silent, speech difficulties can result in problems dealing with finances, medical matters, and personal concerns. Pay attention to how your senior communicates not just with you, but also with doctors, nurses, bank tellers and other professionals.

4. Difficulty eating and swallowing

Another symptom of weak larynx muscles is difficulty or inability to swallow food, or coughing when swallowing. This can have an immediate and dangerous effect on a senior’s nutritional and overall health, but speech therapy involves exercises that can help regain swallowing ability.

5. Voice hoarseness

A hoarse, gravelly, or raspy voice is another symptom of speech difficulties that at first seems like something else, such as a common cold. But the if the hoarseness persists, it could be a sign of weakness in the vocal cords or larynx. Starting speech therapy early can help strengthen them before the problem gets worse.

6. Cognitive changes

Aging muscles and vocal cords aren’t the only age-related cause of speech difficulties. Cognitive impairments from dementia can also drastically affect speech, along with symptoms related to stroke. If your loved one seems increasingly forgetful or can’t seem to find the right words, they may benefit from a neuropsychological evaluation to diagnose the problem, followed by speech therapy to support recovery from cognitive impairments.

Help your loved one reclaim their voice

Whether the issue is communicating effectively or swallowing safely, speech therapists are trained to design individualized treatment programs to help seniors regain their voice and independence. If you’re looking for speech therapy in San Diego, come see us at Bella Vista Health Care.  We have skilled, compassionate professionals ready to help your loved ones with speech therapy, physical therapy, physical rehabilitation, occupational therapy, and a number of other rehabilitative services. Give us a call to schedule a tour today.
 

When is it Time to Seek Speech Therapy?

When is it Time to Seek Speech Therapy?

If you’ve suffered a brain injury, stroke or fall, you might find that it’s a little bit harder to speak than it was before. Or, perhaps you’re in perfect health but you’re getting older and are having trouble chewing and swallowing. In either case, speech therapy can be a wonderful tool for regaining your independence and ability to communicate effectively with doctors, family, and friends. 

Choosing to participate in speech therapy is a personal choice, and the decision isn’t always an easy one. However, admitting you need help is nothing to be ashamed of. The aging process has many effects on the body, and this often includes one’s ability to speak. As you get older, your vocal cords become less elastic and your larynx muscles may weaken. This can make it hard to talk in a manner you’re used to. That’s where speech therapy comes in. A speech language pathologist can help you relearn how to talk using vocal exercises, muscle retraining, compensatory strategies, and use of communication devices.

When to seek help

At Bella Vista Health Center, our speech therapy program is designed around an individual plan of care that addresses your specific needs. While everyone is different, there are a few telltale signs it’s time to seek the help of a speech therapist. You may need to consider speech therapy if you or a loved one:

• Has difficulty requesting items and answering questions spontaneously
• Has trouble swallowing food or water and often coughs before, during or after
• Experiences a change in the pitch, volume, or quality of his or her voice
• Struggles with normal speech flow due to frequent repetition or prolongation of speech sounds, syllables or words
• Has difficulty putting words together to express him or herself in an appropriate manner
• Has trouble saying words correctly to the point that listeners can’t understand what is being said
• Experiences problems remembering words and/or has completely lost his or her ability to speak, read, or write
• Experiences problems remembering things, paying attention, or solving problems

Once you’ve decided to seek the help of a speech therapist, the first thing he or she will do is complete an evaluation. At this appointment, your therapist will perform some basic tests to determine the problem and how to address it. He or she will also talk to you about your goals for regaining your speaking abilities and how you can work together to achieve them.

We’re here for you

If you or a loved is having difficulty communicating, the best thing you can do is seek the help of a professional. At Bella Vista Health Care, our speech therapy program offers a careful balance of treatment, support, and care for those who have difficulties with speaking, cognition, coordinated muscular movements, and swallowing.

Are you in the San Diego area and looking for a safe and comfortable setting where you can recover and rehabilitate? Give us a call to schedule a tour of our 5-star nursing facility in Lemon Grove today. Once you meet our professional and friendly staff, we think you’ll feel right at home.