The Speech-Language Pathologist in Residential Care Homes
Federica Angiulli
Speech-language pathologists are the leading experts for communication and swallowing disorders for every age range. However, SLPs still struggle with achieving recognition in specific fields. For instance, residential care homes in Italy easily clarify this concept: even though the needs of the elderly are extremely complex and may be satisfied only under multidisciplinary management, Italian organization is extremely uneven because each region can establish its own essential requirements. In this environment, SLPs are often absent or must work in unsuitable conditions. Clinical experience and scientific literature highlight the various critical aspects of this situation. Communication is deemed essential in all of its connotations and needs to be carefully evaluated by specialists. Taking care of these aspects is the key to guaranteeing a dignified quality of life. On the other hand, swallowing, the potential presence of dysphagia and all the complications it may entail are a concrete problem that we cannot underestimate with frail and elderly patients. The rate of complications related to presbyphagia in residential care homes is well-known and leads to increasing concern, especially in those realities where SLPs cannot give their essential contribution. This scenario highlights the absolute and pressing need to establish a new organization for residential care homes in Italy that can be equal in every region and that can meet all of the critical issues previously discussed. The satisfactory presence of SLPs, alongside other healthcare professionals, is a concrete goal to achieve as soon as possible in order to provide dignity and an adequate standard of living for every person we take care of.
Keywords
SLP, Residential care homes, Communication, Presbyphagia, Frail patient.
