How Speech-Language Pathologists Improve Quality of Life for Older Adults

Speech language pathology is often most strongly associated with the school or hospital setting, where they work with young children who have been born with impediments or other barriers to speech. This is, in fact, an important part of the work. It's not, however, the only part of their work.

Speech-language pathologists play an important role in the lives of older adults. Even people who have gone through the vast majority of their lives without any difficulty with speech may develop conditions as they age that make it more challenging.

In this article, we take a look at what speech language pathologists do for older adults and how it provides them with a sense of personal richness in the later years of their life.

Overview

Not only are speech language pathologists working with aging adults, but they're doing so at a higher level than ever before seen - actually, on both ends of the extreme.

Modern medicine has played a key role in shaping what speech-language pathologists do. For infants, there are now many medical scenarios in which infants born with previously life-threatening conditions are able to survive and, in fact, live normal, healthy lives.

But they also often wind up with barriers to speech that impact their ability to communicate.

This is also true of America's aging population. By 2030, 20% of the United States will be over the age of 65. The reason is simple enough: people are living longer than they ever have before. Yes, life expectancy did take an unexpected dip in recent years, but that owed more to acute risk factors like drug overdoses and disease than it did to our prevention capabilities.

Here's what does still happen, of course: strokes, dementia, Parkinson's, and all sorts of disorders and conditions that make it harder for aging adults to communicate with the clarity that they are used to or expect.

Common Communication Barriers in Older Adults

We mentioned earlier that there are several common causes of barriers to speech. These result in the following conditions:

• Aphasia - Aphasia is a difficulty with language that impacts up to 40% of stroke survivors. It can be managed with treatment.
• Dysarthria - Similar to aphasia, but with slurred speech that almost eliminates the ability of communication. Also common to stroke victims.
• Difficulty finding words for dementia or Alzheimer's patients - The barrier to communication is more a matter of comprehension. They struggle to find words, maintain conversation, and understand people they are speaking with. There are limits to how much a speech-language pathologist can help with this, but they are often able to at least provide some relief.
• Hearing loss. Again, a common part of getting older, but one that can be managed, in some ways with the help of a speech language pathologist.
• Swallowing disorders (Dysphagia) - Dysphagia affects almost a quarter of the adult population over the age of 50 and becomes even more common in nursing homes, where up to half of all residents experience some form of the disorder. Not only is this uncomfortable, but it can pose a legitimate risk for malnutrition. SLPs are able to help them with swallowing exercises that strengthen their muscles and also teach general safety techniques to avoid choking.

In many of these cases, the SLP is not treating the underlying issue. They are helping people on their caseload make better use of the abilities that they still have. 

Where Speech Language Pathologists Do This Work

Now that you know what does a speech and language pathologist do with older patients, the next question is: where do they do it? The answer is varied.

Hospitals, particularly acute care units, are a very common first stop. When a person is newly diagnosed with a stroke, for example, they'll often be connected immediately with an SLP for further outpatient care. However, there are many other applications for SLPs that want to work with older adults.

These include nursing homes, assisted or even independent living communities, rehabilitation clinics, home health, and private practice. The latter option might be particularly appealing for people with an entrepreneurial component to their personality.

There is even a growing field for telehealth communications and other forms of digital integration. Artificial intelligence might one day even play an important role in helping people overcome barriers to speech.

AI may be able to recognize early signs of cognitive decline in a person's speech patterns and potentially connect them with useful services, including those of an SLP, earlier than was previously possible.

For now, though, the profession remains as it's been - largely a one-on-one form of therapy where professionals develop personal relationships with the people on their caseload.

Rewarding Work with Many Possibilities

Ultimately, the best thing about being an SLP is that you can live many professional lives within this profession. We've described in detail how you can use a degree in speech-language pathology to help the elderly. There's just as much to say about how SLPs can work with children, teenagers, and young adults. The fact of the matter is that many different segments of the population take advantage of these services, making this an important career path to consider for anyone who wants to make a significant difference in the world.

It is a bit of a challenging job to get into. You'll need an undergraduate degree that has some type of scientific emphasis, followed by a graduate degree in speech-language pathology. If you're reading this as a former English major who now feels excluded from the profession, don't despair. There are ways to segue, and it's often actually much easier than you might assume. You may be required to take a few prerequisites, but for a rewarding lifelong career, what's the cost of a few extra months of your life?

There are, of course, other jobs of similar importance. Doctor. Nurse. A patient care manager. Teacher. Social worker. Still, if you want a rewarding career that puts you into contact with vast segments of the population, becoming an SLP should be high on your list of consideration.

Here's the bottom line: Speech-language pathology is not the only way to make a major difference in the world, but it's a great way. Give it some thought.