Speech Therapy at Home for Seniors

Verbal communication is how you have meaningful conversations with family and indicate your interests and needs. But what if you’ve lost your ability to communicate like you used to? A stroke or another cognitive impairment may make it harder for you to talk and help you feel connected to your loved ones. Fortunately, speech therapy can help.

Receiving speech therapy from the comfort of your own home can improve your communication skills, help you swallow and improve your quality of life.

What is Speech Therapy?

Speech therapy is designed to increase your functional communication and cognitive skills through muscle training and communication devices. This type of therapy is usually recommended for older adults who have suffered a stroke, have weakened vocal cords or swallowing problems, or have other cognitive impairments, like dementia.

Speech therapy can be done at a therapist office or in the comfort of your own home. Speech therapy at home allows you to receive high quality, professional rehabilitation services where you feel most comfortable and safe.

7 Benefits of Speech Therapy

Receiving speech therapy services can vastly improve your ability to effectively communicate with others. Here are some of the top benefits you can receive when you participate in speech therapy:

• Improved Quality of Life: Verbal communication is a critical part of life, as it allows you to socialize and state what you need from others. When you struggle to speak, you risk additional health problems and can become socially isolated. Fortunately, speech therapy can lower these risks and help improve your social wellbeing.
• Improved Ability to Swallow: Some people also experienced weakened muscles as they age that diminishes their ability to swallow properly. If you struggle to swallow—a condition known as dysphagia—you risk choking on your food. Dysphagia can also prevent food from properly reaching your stomach, leading to unintended weight loss. Speech therapy can help to strengthen your larynx and jaw muscles, which in turn improves your swallowing reflex and allows you to enjoy meals in a more comfortable, safe manner.
• Improved Cognitive Function: Speech therapy does much more than improve your ability to speak and swallow. In fact, it also benefits your cognitive function. When you practice speech therapy, you’re improving your problem solving skills and working to preserve the brain functions associated with communication.
• Strengthened Vocal Cords: Weakened vocal cords are another part of the reason people lose their ability to speak effectively. Once vocal cords become less elastic, verbal communication becomes more difficult. Speech therapy includes specialized vocal exercises to help strengthen your vocal cords and improve your speech.
• Treatment for Dysarthria: Dysarthria is a motor speech disorder where the muscles used to produce speech are damaged, weakened or paralyzed. If you suffer from dysarthria, you may be unable to control your tongue, larynx, vocal cords and other muscles needed to verbally communicate. Speech therapy can serve as a non-invasive way to address the problem and help improve your speaking ability.
• Improved Speech After a Stroke: Speech therapy can be used to help combat aphasia, a communication disorder that is more common after you experience a stroke. A stroke may damage part of the brain that controls speech function. Speech therapy focuses on supporting the brain’s ability to create new neural pathways for speech, so you can communicate again.

Speech Therapy at Home Options from Fellowship Senior Living

At Fellowship Senior Living, we offer professional speech rehabilitation services in the comfort of your home. When you receive at-home speech therapy services from our compassionate team members, you can expect a personalized care plan designed specifically for your unique condition and needs.

We strive to ensure all our patients receive the care and support they need. That’s why we provide a variety of at-home services to help you preserve your independence while receiving the care you require. Contact us today at 908-580-3880 to learn more about all of our at-home speech therapy services.