Monday, February 3, 2014

How Speech Pathologists, Audiologists Work with Aging Patients

Of the many types of healthcare practitioners who care for the elderly, speech-language pathologists (SLPs) and audiologists may have the greatest potential to actually improve the quality of life for older Americans. SLPs, who evaluate and treat speech, language and swallowing disorders, and audiologists, who identify and treat hearing and balance disorders, can help restore a person’s fundamental ability to communicate.
“We can give elderly clients hope,” says Donna Geffner, PhD, who is licensed and certified in both audiology and speech-language pathology and is director of the graduate programs and the Speech and Hearing Center at St. John’s University in Jamaica, New York.
Many age-related conditions, like Alzheimer’s disease, strokes and hearing loss, are expected to become more prevalent as the country’s population ages. Indeed, the government projects the number of people 65 and older will nearly double between 2005 and 2030, to 71.5 million. The speech-language pathology and audiology professions are taking steps to prepare for this great gray wave. Read More.