Babies cry to alert their caregivers to uncomfortable sensations like hunger or tiredness. Children learn through reciprocal communication and repetition. Teenagers and adults find their place in the world and form friendships through peer interactions.

Effective communication allows us to express our needs at every stage in life. It is unsurprising, then, that a sudden or gradual decline in speech can be detrimental to a person’s health and quality of life.

According to the Mayo Clinic, an estimated 5-10% of Americans have a communication disorder, and one recent study suggested that for older US adults, this figure may be closer to 25% (Oshita et al., 2023).

What is Speech Therapy?

Speech therapists support people with difficulties with verbal communication and the use of the mouth. People of all ages can benefit from this type of therapy, including children with delayed speech development and adults with communication disorders.

Speech therapy also has many uses that are particularly beneficial to aging adults. For example, it is often included in the senior care plans of individuals with dementia and those who have suffered a stroke.

Speech therapy is highly personalized to the needs of an individual, but a typical session may include:

    • Working on facial movements to improve motor skills.
    • Reading out loud or playing word games.
    • Completing tongue and mouth exercises to strengthen important muscles.
    • Breathing exercises.
    • Activities to improve memory and organization.

Despite being primarily known for its role in supporting people with speech impairments, speech therapy can be used to treat a range of issues affecting speech and the mouth and throat more generally.

As skilled nursing and memory care communities support seniors with diverse conditions, we see the benefits of speech therapy daily.

Typical Uses of Speech Therapy for Seniors

Assisting In Recovery from A Stroke or Brain Injury

Speech therapy is often a vital care plan component for seniors recovering from a stroke or a head injury affecting the brain. With around 7.4% of seniors suffering a stroke (Rajati et al., 2023), and traumatic brain injuries being particularly common in over-75s due to high fall rates according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), speech therapists often find themselves working with senior patients.

Aphasia

Aphasia is one of the most common consequences of a brain injury – regardless of whether it is due to a stroke, a blow to the head, dementia, a tumor, or even an infection. Aphasia is typically caused by damage to one of two critical areas involved in speech: Wernicke’s area (associated with understanding language) or Broca’s area (associated with expressing language). When these areas are damaged, patients have speech and comprehension difficulties. However, the specific consequences depend on which area is affected.

Broca’s area is related to expressing language, so individuals who have damaged this region may struggle to form complex sentences but still be able to understand others well. On the flip side, those with Wernicke’s aphasia tend to speak in confusing and lengthy sentences that do not always make sense. Because Wernicke’s area is associated with understanding, they also typically struggle to interpret what others say. Individuals with global aphasia typically have damage to both areas and may have great difficulties in both speaking and comprehension.

Other disorders that may be caused by a stroke or brain injury include:

    • Cognitive-communication disorders result in speech, memory, listening, and problem-solving difficulties.
    • Expressive disorders cause patients to struggle with translating their thoughts into speech.
    • Weakened muscles cause dysarthria and result in slurred or prolonged speech. As well as strokes, dysarthria can also be caused by conditions affecting the nervous system (like multiple sclerosis).

How A Speech Therapist Helps

A speech therapist can introduce individuals with issues like aphasia to techniques that help them communicate and understand others as well as possible. If therapy is started quickly after a brain injury, many patients experience a good deal of improvement. Techniques employed by a speech therapist in this scenario include reading, writing, direction following, or repetitive speech patterns.

Supporting Seniors with Dementia

Promoting Safe Chewing and Swallowing

Seniors with Alzheimer’s often have chewing and swallowing difficulties as their condition progresses. A speech therapist can help them train their muscles to chew and swallow food.

The benefits of this include:

    • A reduced risk of choking.
    • An improved ability to take in adequate nutrition.
    • Promoted independence and autonomy.

A speech therapist may also be able to offer advice on ways to adapt meals to maintain dietary variety while also making chewing and swallowing easier (e.g., recommending nutritious supplements like milkshakes and soups).

Nurturing Speech and Communication Skills

Speech is often impaired by Alzheimer’s, and being unable to communicate needs can cause immense frustration and even discomfort for seniors. Speech problems in the context of dementia are often caused by physical deterioration of muscles or difficulties with comprehension on a cognitive level. Depending on the specific cause, speech therapists may employ muscle-strengthening, repetition, and naming exercises.

Speech Therapy at Chapin Home for The Aging

Chapin Home for the Aging’s rehabilitation center offers speech, occupational, and physical therapy for our residents and seniors in the local area. As a short and long-term skilled nursing facility, we provide care for senior residents who have dementia or who are recovering from strokes, falls, or other injuries. As a result, many seniors in our community are supported by speech-language pathologists.

Our on-site speech therapists curate tailored senior care plans that address a patient’s specific cognitive, communicative, or functional impairments while considering their concerns, goals, and desires. We also offer an extensive education program for family caregivers, helping them understand their relative’s treatment plan fully (and providing them with the proper follow-up support at home if required).

To visit our rehabilitation center and learn more about speech therapy or skilled nursing at Chapin Home, get in touch today to schedule a visit.
Translate »