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When a loved one is diagnosed with a serious medical condition, your priority is keeping them healthy while maintaining their quality of life. Speech therapy can help an aging family member continue to communicate with caregivers and loved ones. Here are some conditions that may require speech therapy.

4 Conditions That Impair Communication and Require Speech Therapy

1. Stroke

A stroke can cause aphasia, the inability to understand or use language. Sometimes people who have had a stroke regain typical language use on their own, but speech therapy can speed up the recovery process. Patients who have had aphasia for six months or longer are less likely to fully recover, but a speech therapist can help the patient regain some communication.

2. Alzheimer’s Disease

Alzheimer’s disease may damage the part of the brain that controls verbal communication. While this disease is irreversible, speech therapy can help improve patients’ communication skills. A speech therapist can also work with family members to adapt to the Alzheimer’s patient’s changing communication style and needs.

3. Parkinson’s Disease

speech therapyPeople with Parkinson’s can have trouble with articulation and may experience changes to their voice, particularly in later stages of the disease. A speech therapist can help the patient learn new ways of communication such as electronic-assisted communication as well as low-tech augmentative and alternative communication, or low-tech ACC, in which the speaker points to letters to spell words.

4. ALS

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), or Lou Gehrig’s Disease, causes muscle weakness and atrophy, which impairs swallowing and speaking. Some patients will eventually lose the ability to speak, but speech therapy can extend the time a patient maintains verbal communication skills. They can also prepare with “voice banking,” which allows the patient to record their voice for future use with a communication device.

 

If your loved one could benefit from speech therapy or other specialized treatments, trust CareResource Hawaii in Honolulu, HI. Whether they need short- or long-term support, this home care service will match them with a nurse or caregiver who has the skills to nurture recovery, comfort, and safety. Call (808) 599-4999 or contact them online to learn how they can support you and your loved one.

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