Speech therapy (or speech pathology as it is known in some countries) is a less known part of the Allied Health professionals. These services can be very helpful for people who have swallowing or language difficulties as a result of head injuries or other neurological disabilities.
Speech therapists are fully focused on the facial muscles that affect or enable us to speak and swallow without difficulties. A cerebrovascular accident (CVA) also known as stroke, is an example of a neurological injury that affects these facial muscles in most cases and often on one side only. Thus, a patient recovering from stroke in a hospital will be reviewed by the speech pathologist who will decide what texture of food they are able to swallow.
It is not only in hospitals that speech therapists do most of their work. Their services are often required in Aged Care facilities or nursing homes. Older adults are more likely to develop swallowing and eating difficulties as they have more co-morbidities that affect their ability to compromise these muscles. In addition to this, people living in nursing homes with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease are also unable to communicate about their difficulties. This increases the risk of choking. Hence, when it is observed that a resident has reduced appetite suddenly or gradually over a few days, a speech therapist is called to review them and advise if the texture of their diet should be changed.
This is not to be confused with the role that the dietician plays in the healthcare team. The dietician is responsible for ensuring that the patient or the resident is receiving the optimum level of nutrition according to their needs and that none of their foods are contraindicated with the treatment they are receiving or their diagnosis. However, the speech therapist decides what texture these foods should be in. For example, a patient who has severe difficulty with swallowing as a result of having a recent stroke may be on a fully vitamized or thickened diet which minimizes the work of chewing and ensures smooth swallowing.