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Eureka Springs Hospital is offering outpatient speech therapy for adults.
Speech therapy helps people who have communication difficulties, cognitive deficits and swallowing disorders.
Communication and cognitive deficits can occur from a sudden event such as a stoke or head injury, or they can be the result of gradual decline such as Parkinson’s Disease, Multiple Sclerosis or dementia.
Lee Harvill“Since our basic human desire is to connect with each other, losing one’s ability to communicate can be devastating for patients and their loved ones,” said speech therapist Lee Harvill. “It causes isolation, depression and sometimes interferes with basic needs being met.”
Harvill added that it is equally devastating when someone loses their independence and safety because of a decline in memory function or problem solving skills associated with dementia.
“And, of course, if someone has difficulty swallowing, it affects their overall health, as well as their ability to socially connect by sharing meals with friends and loved ones,” Harvill said.
“Restoring these skills or providing alternative ways to compensate for them is very important for maintaining wellbeing.”
It takes 50 pairs of muscles and six cranial nerves firing off at the right time to swallow a bite of food. When these muscles and nerves are not working properly, food and liquid can go into the airway and cause aspiration pneumonia.
“A speech pathologist instructs in exercises that can strengthen the muscles in the mouth, throat and larynx and improve swallow function,” Harvill said. “There are postures and maneuvers to compensate for muscle weakness and nerve innervation deficits, as well as changes in diet consistencies.”
Speech therapy helps people struggling with progressive dementia by tapping into skills that are still intact and teaching them to use strategies to maximize their independence and safety during day-to-day activities.
“In the early stages, I may teach them to compensate for memory loss by using journals, memory books, reminder lists, association and visual imagery,” Harvill said. “As the disease progresses, the treatment shifts more toward the caregiver.”
Caring for a loved one with dementia can be physically and emotionally taxing, Harvill said.
“I can offer support and education about the disease process to help them understand their loved one’s changes in communication and behavior,” Harvill said.
Harvill said she is excited that the hospital now offers outpatient speech therapy.
“I am also particularly interested and hopeful to further build the swing bed program here,” Harvill said.
Swing beds are for patients that need skilled nursing care and/or therapy following an acute stay at a hospital to continue recovery.
The program is available for Eureka Springs Hospital patients and pa tients who receive treatment at a larger hospital but would like to recover closer to home.
“We have a lot of talented healthcare workers in our community and surrounding areas,” Harvill said. “With continued growth, I think Eureka Springs Hospital has the potential to continue to bring these talented professionals together to provide a plethora of services at home.”
Harvill added, “Most folks would like to get their healthcare needs met close to home. We have a small hospital that is doing great things and meeting many needs in our community.”
To schedule a speech therapy appointment, contact Harvill at 479-253-7400 ext. 2187 or Lee. Harvill@EurekaSpringsHospital.com. For general information, call Samantha Jones at 479-253-7400 ext. 4802 or email Samantha.Jones@ EurekaSpringsHospital.com.
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