Speech Therapy at ESLC

The Episcopal Church Home has recently added full-time Speech Pathology services as part of our rehabilitation program. Speech therapy is now available five days a week for those who need the skilled services of a Speech Therapist. Who and how can a speech therapist help?

• For individuals with dysphagia (difficulty with swallowing), interventions include strengthening the muscles used in swallowing, oral stimulation and exercise to improve eating and swallowing, diet modifications to prevent aspiration and strategies to help improve the safety of the swallow.
• For individuals with aphasia, a speech therapist will use language stimulation, word finding activities, and socializing activities. A therapist can also provide assistance with both understanding and expressing language using tailored intervention techniques. Therapies can also address reading, writing, and math skills for everyday living.
• For individuals with cognitive difficulties, socialization groups, therapies to enhance memory, problem solving, following sequences/directions, etc. can assist in activities of daily living. These therapies also enhance participation in other therapies during a resident's stay.
• For individuals experiencing speech impairments, a therapist can initiate oral strengthening exercises to regain strength in the tongue, lips, and cheeks. Therapies also include strategies for clearer and more precise speech production.
• For individuals with alternative communication needs, therapists can make recommendations for alternate means of communicating. These methods can range from simple systems to very complex computerized systems.
• For individuals who have sustained any injury to the vocal cords, intervention may include relaxation techniques, specific exercises, auditory feedback for increased awareness, and/or compensatory techniques. voice therapy may also involve exercises to increase volume.

These and related disorders can be the result of a stroke, progressive neurological diseases, head and neck cancer, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, brain injury, or physical impairment.

Kelly Elmore M.S./CCC/SLP is an ASHA certified and licensed Speech Language Pathologist who is providing personalized services to individuals with speech therapy needs. Kelly has more than 17 years of experience in the field.

Jim's Success Story

National Arthritis Month

While often referred to as if it were a single disease, arthritis is actually an umbrella term used for a group of more than 100 medical conditions that collectively affect nearly 46 million adults and 300,000 children in America alone. While the most common form of arthritis - osteoarthritis (OA) - is most prevalent in people over 60, arthritis in its various forms can start as early as infancy. Some forms affect people in their young-adult years as they are beginning careers and families and still others start during the peak career and child-rearing years.The common thread among these 100-plus conditions is that they all affect the musculoskeletal system and specifically the joints - where two or more bones meet. Arthritis-related joint problems include pain, stiffness, inflammation and damage to joint cartilage (the tough, smooth tissue that covers the ends of the bones, enabling them to glide against one another) and surrounding structures. Such damage can lead to joint weakness, instability and visible deformities that, depending on the location of joint involvement, can interfere with the most basic daily tasks such as walking, climbing stairs, using a computer keyboard, cutting your food or brushing your teeth.For many people with arthritis, however, joint involvement is not the extent of the problem. Many forms of arthritis are classified as systemic, meaning they can affect the whole body. In these diseases, arthritis can cause damage to virtually any bodily organ or system, including the heart, lungs, kidneys, blood vessels and skin. Arthritis-related conditions primarily affect the muscles and the bones.Together, arthritis and related conditions are a major cause of disability in the United States, costing the U.S. economy more than $124 billion per year in medical care and indirect expenses such as lost wages and production - and costing millions of individuals their health, their physical abilities and, in many cases, their independence. And unless something changes, the picture is going to get worse. As the population ages, the number of people with arthritis is growing.

Rehab Success Story Contest Winner

Larry Hursh shares his inspiring rehabilitation story after going through several steps of chemotherapy. "I had to follow a three step chemotherapy program as a preventative measure. Step one went very well with no discomfort or noticeable side effects. During the second step, I experienced increasing pain in my legs and some neuropathy in my hands and feet. Shortly after completing this stage of treatment, the pain was very high and I had trouble standing by myself. My wife agreed to take me to emergency room for help and evaluation. They found a combination of pain killers that corrected the pain problem. However, the neuropathy and muscle weakness were significant and they recommended that I be discharged to a rehabilitation center for therapy to address these problems." Read the rest of the story here!

National Occupational Therapy Month

Occupational therapy is a science-driven, evidence-based profession that enables people of all ages to live life to its fullest by helping them promote health and prevent—or live better with—illness, injury or disability.