A stroke can be a life changing event, leaving patients bed-ridden, physically and mentally disabled. The treatment for stroke is more effective if the patient is admitted to the hospital immediately, without any delay. Hospitalisation and medical treatment alone are not sufficient for the patient to get back to normal. A rehabilitation programme is necessary for helping them regain their independence and become more functional. The most common outcomes of a stroke are slurred speech and difficulty in chewing or swallowing. Hence, a speech and swallow therapy is required to bring back the patient to normalcy.
Speech and Swallow Therapy – What does it involve?
A speech and swallow therapy is conducted on a patient who is not unable to communicate and consume food on their own. This programme is conducted regularly, to attain the best possible results. The processes involved in this therapy are:
Cognitive training:
This focuses on the receptiveness of the patient, which is the ability to understand the words of others trying to communicate with the patient. Cognitive training helps the patient resume communication with others effectively as they gain an understanding of the latter’s verbal as well as non-verbal speech.
Language therapy:
This is commonly called speech therapy. In this session, the patient is trained to use language as a means of communication. Generally, after a stroke, it becomes difficult for the patient to speak and use language. Language therapy encourages the patient to make an effort to speak normally again.
Vocal training:
This training triggers the oral motor, which is an integral part of the entire speech and communication therapy. Often, the voice of the patient becomes distorted after a stroke and they are not able to speak well. A therapist makes the patient speak and accordingly works on their voice modulation. This helps the patient regain their confidence to speak.
Non-verbal communication training:
Seriously affected stroke patients are not able to engage in verbal communication for a long period of time. Such patients are trained in non-verbal communication. This involves computer-boosted speech mechanisms which will allow the patient to exchange words with others. A trainer guides the patient throughout the programme,until the patient completely learns how to communicate through this instrument.
Swallowing therapy: A stroke leaves the entire head and its nearby areas seriously affected. Hence, swallowing food and water is a major concern for the stroke patient, due to which they are fed through a Ryle’s tube. Due to the fragile situation of the patient, a liquid diet or mush is recommended. Initially, a therapist helps the patient swallow liquid food. Training on a regular basis, with liquid-based food items, helps the patient regain their ability to swallow and consume food on their own.
Fluency training: As the patient gradually regains their ability to speak, they are trained by a therapist, to increase their pace of forming sentences and holding a simple conversation.
Speech and swallow therapy involves intensive training and the usage of computer-boosted speech mechanisms. This therapy is conducted by rehabilitation hospitals like ApoKOS, where the patient is provided with regular training and they regain their independence as soon as possible. For more details, visit https://apokosrehab.com/