Speech Therapy

The Speech Therapist/Pathologist is a qualified professional person who directs, supervises, evaluates and provides speech and language therapy services to patients in their home as prescribed by the attending Physician.

Speech Therapy (ST) services are invaluable for stroke, Parkinson’s and other physically debilitative disease patients. Our Speech Therapists integrate the latest technology and rehabilitative plans in the treatment of speech and swallowing disorders.

At Home Care is one of a select few home health care agencies that is certified to use the neuromuscular electronic stimulation (NMES). Using VitalStim’s state of the art equipment, NMES therapy is used to treat select homebound patients with Dysphagia (swallowing difficulties). This is an innovative treatment that has helped many patients retrain muscles and regain use of their swallowing function.

Dysphagia Statistics

• More than 15 million Americans have moderate to severe difficulty swallowing

• More than 50 percent of stroke patients, and 60 percent ofhead/neck radiation (i.e. throat cancer) patients will eventually develop dysphagia.

• Some estimates indicate 90 percent of Parkinson’s and ALS patients suffer from dysphagia.

All of our certified Speech Language Pathologists have many years of experience working in the
field.

At Optima Health Care we specialize in:

  1. Dysphagia (difficulty in swallowing for Pediatric, Adult and Geriatrics).

  2. Aphasia (impairment in the comprehension and production of language due to brain damage or stroke).
  3. Dysarthria (a neurogenic speech disorder that results in weakness, slowness, or incoordination of the muscles of respiration, phonation, and articulation).
  4. Vital stim therapy for dysphagia and oral-facial weakness. http://www.vitalstimtherapy.com/
  5. Traumatic brain injury (TBI).
  6. Brian tumors.
  7. Laryngeal cancer.
  8. Management of trachostomized and ventilator-dependent patients.
  9. Language delay/ Language Disorder (language abilities that exhibit slower than expected development).
  10. Tongue thrust (pediatric and adults).

Job Description:

  1. The Speech Therapist/Pathologist is a member of the American Speech Hearing and Language Association with a Certificate of Clinical Competence in the appropriate area or meets the educational requirements for certifications and is accumulating the supervised experience required for certification.
  2. Registered to practice as a speech therapist in the state of practice if the state has registration practices.
  3. Has a Master’s Degree in Speech Language Pathology or Audiology and one (1) full year of supervised work experience.
  4. Is fulfilling the Clinical Fellowship Year and is supervised by a licensed Speech Pathologist.

Reports To: The Director of Nursing and designated Nursing Supervisor, or to the Rehabilitation Manager.