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I'll have pie please!

Updated: Jul 9, 2019


Point to tell me what you would like ....

Caroline welcomed me to her world as the recently appointed speech and language therapist at Care for Veterans - with a warm smile, a cheerful demeanour and a very obvious passion for her work. We had fun together sharing stories about our roles and we discovered that we had a lot in common.


In my previous working life I supported families of pre-school age children with complex needs as part of an early years muti disciplinary team including speech and language therapists. So I was delighted to spend time with Caroline revisiting the important role of the SALT and supporting her with a therapy session with one of our residents. I was reminded of the centrality of communication in our lives and how essential it is to have a 'voice' - whether that be via the spoken word or through other means such as gesture, facial expression, sounds, pictures, the written word, signing or technology. Communication is complex as it is more than just an indication of our wants and needs, it is how we express who we are by sharing our feelings, our thoughts and our values. And of course, it is about listening and organising our thoughts so that we can respond in an effective and reasoned way. The human brain is the amazing organ that is responsible for all this activity - firing electrical impulses to make the connections that enables all that we feel, see, hear, sense, smell, taste and touch to be processed so that we can respond appropriately.




Well that's the theory as I understand it, but when the brain is not working properly due to a breakdown somewhere in those connections, then the communication process becomes interrupted or impaired in some way..... and as the cartoon below shows us - its frustrating when the string breaks!


So what can be done when the string breaks?

It is the role of the SALT to understand what the impact of the breakdown is but also what the person is still able to do, so that they can be helped along with their carers, family and friends to develop effective ways to communicate. This 'can-do' approach builds upon a strong foundation of known skills and abilities enabling independence, dignity and respect for the person who can be empowered to communicate differently.


On my visit I witnessed Caroline's professional skill and patience in assessing a resident's needs and abilities. There was much fun with lots of smiles .... we all enjoyed the time together and I could see how much P (the resident) had appreciated time to 'talk' albeit through pictures, pointing, sound making and lots of facial expression. P relaxed very quickly into the activities - looking at a map of where she had lived, answering closed questions with yes and no answers, reading questions and finding answers, listening intently to instructions and following them carefully. This communication exchange was only possible because of the trust built up between them based upon Caroline's professional observation and assessment skills combined with P's willingness/eagerness to participate. As P is able to understand verbal requests from others, Caroline has given P a set of visual tools to help her to communciate her needs and thoughts via a set of yes/no cards and a picture chart. These resources are kept with P at all times so that where-ever she goes she is able to 'talk' about what she needs and answer simple questions.


As well as supporting communciation, speech and language therapists are also concerned with how we use our facial and throat muscles for eating and drinking. Swallowing can become a real challenge when the brain does not control these muscles properly. This is known as dysphagia. When the 'flap' fails to control the gateway for food/drink and air via tubes in the oesophagus then food or drink can go 'down the wrong way' which can cause choking or contamination of the lungs leading to chest infections.




But on a definitely cheery note - here are some of us communicating!










As our resident speech and language therapist Caroline has reminded me about the valuable role she plays here and how our ability to communicate is central to our humanity and well being. Communication is obviously key to her role which she undertakes with diligence and great care. Caroline naturally eminates compassion and kindness which enables her to build rapport and trust with our residents and across the staff teams. We are grateful for the level of professionalism and competency that she brings and the commitment with which she approaches all the facets of being a speech and language therapist. Lastly, it takes courage to be the voice and advocate for those who cannot directly speak for themselves, upholding not just their right to be heard and understood but enabling them to participate as fully as they can in doing it for themselves - so thank you.


Interesting fact: Speech and Language therapists don't just 'do' speech and language - they help with all sorts of functions connected with the mouth and throat muscles.


Amazing national statistic: every £1 invested for adults with dysphagia (swallowing difficulties) after a stroke generates £2.30 in health care saving costs through avoided chest infections.

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