Speech Therapy and Dementia

We all know what dementia is, but some of you may not be aware of how speech therapy can help with changes in cognition, communication, and participation in daily life associated with dementia.

Over the years I have worked with so many people with this diagnosis, and their families, and it has become a specialty and passion of mine. I want patients and families to know more about how speech therapy can be a valuable resource for this life-altering condition.

What do we work on?

Typically, we assess the areas of need for their particular experience and discuss how it can affect safety in the home environment (e.g., how well can they independently manage their medications and what supports could we provide to increase accuracy?). We look at ways to maximize the skills people do have, to be as independent as possible. We educate patients and families on strategies to compensate for difficulties to improve functionality in daily tasks (strategies for short term memory, for example) and practice these techniques together in realistic scenarios. We target high-priority memory items such as recalling names of family members. We educate on the progressive nature of the disease and how to prepare for the future, as well as strategies to slow down its progression as much as possible. We create memory books to help patients engage with their long term memories in positive ways. We discuss how dementia can affect communication and swallowing abilities in its different stages and treat those skills specifically, when necessary. When done well, it can be life changing for the individual with dementia and the family.

But does insurance cover this service?

Yes! Medicare will cover speech therapy for declines caused by dementia, with a doctor’s referral, as long as it is determined to be medically necessary - and it almost ALWAYS is! Ask your doctor for a referral if any of these skills are becoming more difficult.

If you do not have Medicare, your speech pathologist can call your insurance to verify benefit benefits before you begin treatment, as each insurance has its own rules.

If you or your loved ones are living with dementia, more help is available than you may have realized. Reach out today for a free consultation to discuss your concerns. I’m here to help.