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.
