Dementia & Speech Pathology

Changes in communication are among the earliest features of dementia. This can impact some of the most important aspects of a person’s life- having meaningful conversations with family, reading forms for independent decision making and remembering important information. Communication changes can be confusing and frustrating for both the person living with dementia and their family and friends.

Speech pathologists help people with dementia with communication, mealtime management and independence. SP’s can assist with:

💙 Communication Partner Training: educating the support team on communication needs specific to the person’s preferences & needs

💙Memory Aides: creating memory books, visual cues, and other strategies to support recall and daily routines

💙Mealtime Management: setting up the environment and educating supports in mealtime strategies to ensure safe and effective swallowing. As well as mealtime participation and enjoyment.

💙Augmentative & Alternative Communication: exploring alternative communication options such as picture boards or gestures if verbal communication becomes difficult.

💙 Cognitive Rehabilitation: speech therapy exercises to help maintaining information recall (e.g. Spaced Time Retrieval) and word retrieval skills (e.g. Semantic Feature Analysis).

💙Personalised Communication Goals: whether it being able to continue ordering your own coffee at the cafe, joining an Aphasia conversation group or being able to advocate for your communication preferences, a Speech Pathologist can help you work on the goals that are important to you!

If you or someone you know is living with dementia, don’t hesitate to reach out to a Speech Pathologist. We are here to help 🩵