Why Do Seniors Need Speech Therapy?
There are many different therapies that can help seniors avoid problems as they get older. Seniors should be doing therapies like physical therapy and occupational therapy to help them maintain their mobility. But seniors should also start speech therapy so that they don’t struggle with speaking clearly and swallowing easily later on. As seniors get older they may start to notice that their throat muscles aren’t as strong as they used to be. When their throat muscles start to get soft, seniors may lose their ability to speak clearly and loudly. That can impact their ability to be understood.
Speech therapy also works to strengthen the muscles that seniors need to swallow. If seniors can’t swallow properly they could choke on the food that they eat, even if it’s cut up into very small pieces. And when seniors who have poor throat muscles try to drink liquids they could end up aspirating that liquid into their lungs, which can cause infections and other serious health problems. Maintaining strong throat muscles and the ability to speak loudly and clearly are very important for seniors. And the exercises that make up speech therapy target those throat muscles so that seniors will be able to continue to speak and swallow normally. Some of the signs that your senior parent could benefit from speech therapy include:
Soft Voice
If you have noticed that your senior seems to be talking more softly and you’re having trouble hearing them, that could be the start of their throat muscles weakening. It’s always a good idea to make a doctor appointment or have a home health care appointment to have your senior parent checked out if they have any medical changes. But adding speech therapy to their usual treatment roster would also be a good idea if you notice that they are speaking more softly.
Choking On Food Frequently
If your senior parent is choking a lot while they are eating or if they seem to have trouble swallowing foods like meat or any foods that aren’t very soft now is the time to start speech therapy. Don’t wait to see if the situation will get better. Call a local agency to find out more information on speech therapy in your senior parent’s area. Speech therapy can be done at home so they won’t need to go to a medical appointment to get speech therapy.
Clearing The Throat Frequently
When your senior parent speaks and they are clearing their throat more than they used to that’s a sign they need speech therapy. From that point the trouble will progress until they are having trouble making words and effectively speaking because of the deterioration of those muscles. Start speech therapy soon so that your senior parent doesn’t lose any more ability than they already have.
Having A Lot Of Vocal Fry
Vocal fry is that breathy guttural noise that happens when people speak. If your senior parent isn’t getting enough air into their vocal cords when they speak because their throat muscles are weak they will have a lot of vocal fry. Speech therapy can help.
If you or an aging loved one are considering hiring speech therapy in Broomall, PA, and the surrounding area, please contact the friendly staff at Suma Home Care. (484) 206-4544
Ibrahim recently completed a Professional Certificate in Management; He is currently pursuing a Masters in Business Administrations (MBA) at a prestigious university in the UK.
With their passion for helping others and a strong background in customer services and clinical care, Ibrahim and his wife started assisting individuals in their homes.
Since started and operating Suma Home Care in 2010 in the basement of their home, Suma Home Care has provided professionals who work endlessly in providing clients with the highest quality of care, while enabling clients to maintain dignity, comfort and safety in their homes.
Suma Home Care, serves four counties in Pennsylvania, Delaware, Chester, Montgomery and Philadelphia. Ibrahim is firmly connected to his local community and is always looking for ways to give back whenever the opportunity presents itself.
Ibrahim enjoys spending time with his wife and children, travelling and enjoys sports.
Mariama Suma-Keita BSN RN
Born in Sierra Leone west Africa, relocated to America in 1999 from a civil war and settled since in the U.S.A as a Naturalized citizen Graduated from National school of nursing with an associate , and completed BSN in Nursing from Immaculata University graduated with Honor roll Alpha Lambda sigma, After escaping the war served as a refugee nurse in Gambia and Guinea to other displaced refugees before coming to America.
In the states started in Homecare then then transition into hospital, worked in Jefferson hospital as a Registered nurse on Tele and general medsurg floor, also worked in Einstein hospital as an oncology transplant nurse , I realized that I enjoy working with patients so much and believe in quality and compassionate care one at a time dealing with an holistic approach in caring for patients and family in a familiar environment called home , I see the impact and progress when they’re home , it makes them feel relax and progress fast with recovering at home. As a nurse and entrepreneur I understand that dedication to meeting people and families needs is a priority, and able to foster relationships with family and patients that is professional and friendly to help them stay and settled home as a desire.
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