How Speech Therapy Helps Seniors Recover After a Stroke

A senior speaks with a speech pathologist.

The Importance of Stroke Recovery in Seniors

Every year, thousands of seniors across Utah suffer from a stroke. Many of these instances are life changing.

Many forms of therapy may be necessary to deal with the issues in the months after a stroke, but one of the most overlooked and important is speech therapy. Speech therapy plays a central role in healing from a stroke, and can mean a huge difference in quality of life for seniors.

For many people, a stroke can impair the ability to speak clearly, make themselves understood, find the right words, and even eat and swallow. Without rehabilitation, these challenges can impact seniors negatively, and for the rest of their lives.

The good news is that a licensed speech therapist in Utah can help. We are proud to offer speech language therapies at many of our facilities across Utah, and strive for you or your loved ones to get the care you need and deserve.

Today, we’ll learn a bit about speech therapy and why it’s so important for those recovering from a stroke.

Call Monument Health Group Today For Post-Stroke Speech Therapy In Utah.

Understanding Strokes And Its Impact On Communication

A stroke happens when blood flow to the brain is interrupted, usually by a clogged or blocked blood vessel. One of the many after effects of a stroke are issues with speech, language, and swallowing.

Common communication challenges faced by stroke patients include:

Challenges understanding language
Challenges producing language
Weakness in the muscles used to produce speech like the mouth and tongue
Slurred speech
Difficulty coordinating the muscles used to speak
Difficulty swallowing
Difficulty eating

These issues can make life isolating and frustrating. These issues generally don’t go away on their own, either, making professional stroke rehabilitation necessary.

The Role Of Speech Therapy In Stroke Recovery

During stroke recovery, a speech therapist will assess and treat cognitive, communication, and physical issues in stroke patients with various exercises for the brain and body. A good speech language pathologist will develop personalized treatment plans for their patients, conduct therapy sessions, and teach techniques and strategies to overcome barriers to regain full health.

Some common exercises used to restore language, speech clarity, comprehension, support for swallowing and cognitive-communication issues include:

Language retaining exercises
Pronunciation exercises
Swallowing and eating therapy
Practicing articulation
Cognitive tasks involving language
And more

In general, these exercises will be performed both with the SLP present and on their own.

Timeline Of Recovery

Each stroke is different and so is each patient. Depending on the severity of the stroke and the symptoms patients are left with, each journey to recovery is unique. Factors influencing recovery speed include age, the severity of the stroke, and the consistency of therapy.

However, patients can expect to receive different kinds of therapy tied to their conditions throughout the process. These therapies will provide both short- and long-term improvements. Recovery may be rapid at first and then refinement usually must take place.

Benefits Of Speech Therapy For Stroke Patients

The benefits of speech therapy after a stroke cannot be understated. Speech therapy can give back no less than independence and connection, two of the most important things for seniors to have a happy and healthy old age.

Other benefits include:

Improved communication with family and caregivers.
Increased independence and confidence.
Better participation in social and daily activities.
Enhanced overall stroke rehabilitation outcomes.

For many people, speech therapy can mean nothing less than returning to a normal life. It can mean the difference in communicating effectively instead of frustratingly, the ability to connect with loved ones and friends, and the ability to function positively in society.

Speech Therapy In Utah

For those living in Utah, speech therapy is readily available. While there are many ways to access speech language therapy, one of the most important ways for seniors is if they are able to receive it in a nursing home or care facility.

Choosing the right care facility for a loved one who has had a stroke is crucial, as the best outcomes come from facilities that offer therapies such as speech language pathology in-house, rather than having to travel and look elsewhere.

Benefits to in-house speech therapy include continuity of care, less disruption to daily life, frequency, and more.

When choosing a care facility for yourself or a loved one, especially someone who has had a stroke, some question to ask should include:

Are there speech therapists on staff?
Is speech therapy offered in-house?
Are the speech therapy staff licensed and certified?
Can therapy be continued indefinitely or is it only offered short term?
Are there any enrichment activities available that support speech therapy?

Long-Term Support and Outcomes

Even after a stroke, continued therapy matters. The effects of a stroke often don’t end after just a few months. In many cases, continued therapy can make the difference in maintaining progress and goals, and backsliding.

Simply, continued therapies help prevent regression and maintain progress from all of the hard work. It reinforces the techniques used to improve speech, swallowing, and eating, ensures patients are actually doing the exercises and making steady progress, and provides motivation for those doing the difficult work of recovering from a stroke.

In addition, speech therapists can adapt treatment if new issues are cropping up, treatment is not as effective as hoped, or other issues arrive.

One of the most important aspects for continued success is support from the family, whether at home or with regular visits to a care facility. Like continued treatment above, families can also help their loved ones practice, make sure exercises are taking place and progress is being made, and advocate for their loved ones.

Even having regular conversations with your loved ones who have suffered a stroke can help greatly with progress.

Call Monument Health Group For The Best Care In Utah For Your Loved Ones

Speech therapy is one of the most important aspects of stroke recovery. If you or a loved one has recently suffered from a stroke, contact us today for more information on how we can help provide early intervention with a licensed speech therapist.

We’re Looking Forward To Hearing From You And Helping Your Loved Ones Heal. Call Now.