What if I cannot talk?
Sometimes you may not be able to speak about your pain. You may have illness or injuries like dementia, brain damage, or a stroke. This makes it very hard for your caregivers and family to know you are in pain. Your family may help caregivers understand your pain by watching for physical signs of pain. When you have had pain for awhile you may also adapt or get used to the pain. This means you may act normal or opposite of how your family thinks you should act even though you are having very bad pain.
Following are some signs that your family can watch for that may tell them you are in pain:
You can also give a thought to speaking with a pathologist to learn more about new ways to communicate through Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) and the options that are available. Hear about different technology that supports communication, come and play with some of the latest equipment and discover their features for yourself. You will learn how our new ways to communicate through Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) service is able to support you and you to access assessments, trials, and applications to obtain new ways to communicate through Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) equipment.
Speech pathology and communication as a human right
By: Conor Burke in Clinical Focus, Top Stories September 3, 2020
As we grow older, communication skills can deteriorate – whether as a result of hearing loss, speech fluency or physical health – and an estimated 1.2 million Australians live with a communication disability.
Communication has been forefront of the minds of aged care residents and providers alike during the COVID-19 pandemic and the ability to communicate as a basic human right is often taken for granted.
Speech Pathology Australia believes that those with communication disabilities often suffer in silence as their symptoms are often unseen and out of sight, and this is exacerbated as we age.
Speech pathologist Danica Dalton spoke with Aged Care Insite about communication disabilities and what aged care providers can do to make the lives of residents better.
ACI: What’s the definition of a communication disability?
DD: I think a communication disability is anything that really impairs a person’s opportunity to communicate with others, whether that’s their family, friends, people out in the community, it doesn’t necessarily have to be as a result of a severe medical diagnosis.
It can be something more common like a hearing impairment. So that can be a communication disability, particularly if someone hasn’t received appropriate hearing support, or it can be something more severe that impacts a person’s ability to put together words, find the right way to put speech together, to make those sounds come together.
What effect does ageing have on communication?
We have changes in communication. So, there’s usually a range of comorbidities that are occurring at the same time. You might have a bit of a hearing impairment. There are age-related changes that occur to the voice as well, so they can become quieter, it’s sometimes harder to project.
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Find a Certified Practising Member of Speech Pathology AustraliaHow to search:
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Speech Pathologists are professionals who study, diagnose and treat communication disorders.
Speech pathologists assess a person's communication needs. Then design options for Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) systems and making recommendations on which AAC system would be best in different situations. Examples of AAC are both aided - like pictures, Communication Boards and non aided like gestures and body language.
Speech Pathologists can work alongside other professionals like Occupational Therapists.
https://www.ideas.org.au/blogs/speech-pathology-week.html
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and Your Hearing...
People with communication difficulties may benefit from technology and equipment to support getting their message across more effectively. This is an exciting field that is expanding rapidly as technology improves.
You are invited to come along to Level One showroom, Newmarket Village, 400 Newmarket Road
Newmarket QLD 4051
lifetec.org.au
or email [email protected]
or call on 1300 543 383
---------------------------------
Find a Speech Pathologist
https://about.healthdirect.gov.au/nhsd
Click on "More Services". Scroll down and click on "Speech Pathology/Therapy".
Gold Coast University Hospital - Speech Pathology
Speech pathology/therapy
Phone 1300 744 284
Website http://www.health.qld.gov.au/goldcoasthealth/
Address 1 Hospital Boulevard SOUTHPORT 4215 QLD
Opening Hours
Weekday: 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM
Payment Options
Bulk Billing Available
Appointment Required
Yes
---------------------------------
Some health care professionals erroneously believe that the elderly are less sensitive to pain, or give weak doses of pain medications for fear that older patients will not tolerate opioids. They may equate pain management with addiction, or various other avenues of fear authority based.
Pain Management and Monitoring:
Sometimes the elderly are not able to speak about their pain. This may be further complicated with illness or injuries like dementia, brain damage, or a stroke. This makes it very hard for caregivers and family to recognise the existence of pain.
Monitoring the use of analgesics and other pain medication is time consuming. In nursing homes, pain management may be limited if staffing is inadequate. Also, some nursing homes are unwilling to stock restricted drugs that may be useful in the treatment of pain.
Diagnosing a senior’s pain may be difficult. Although grimacing, restlessness, moaning, and agitation may often indicate pain, they are not definitive signs of pain.
The under-treatment of pain has been considered neglect, negligence, or even elder abuse. If you are concerned about the under-treatment of your elderly relative’s pain, talk to his or her physician and nursing team. Also keep records of the problem.
Prevalence of Pain in the ElderlyPain is reported to be twice as prevalent in the elderly as in younger individuals (Crook et al., 1984). In community-dwelling elders, the prevalence of pain ranges from 25-50% (Mobily et al., 1994).
In the long-term care setting, prevalence can be as high as 85% (Stein et al., 1996).
Sometimes you may not be able to speak about your pain. You may have illness or injuries like dementia, brain damage, or a stroke. This makes it very hard for your caregivers and family to know you are in pain. Your family may help caregivers understand your pain by watching for physical signs of pain. When you have had pain for awhile you may also adapt or get used to the pain. This means you may act normal or opposite of how your family thinks you should act even though you are having very bad pain.
Following are some signs that your family can watch for that may tell them you are in pain:
- If you are normally loud and noisy, you may get very quiet and withdrawn. You may also stop doing activities you used to do.
- If you are very quiet and withdrawn, you may get loud, act stubborn, and hit people.
- You may not eat what you normally do. Or, you may only want to drink or eat soft foods.
- Suddenly, you may not do all the activities you used to do.
- You may loose control of your bowel and bladder.
- You may act very depressed and have a sad face.
- If you do not talk at all, you may blink your eyes very fast much of the time. You may also grimace (make strange faces).
- If you have been very easy going and happy, you may begin to be very sensitive and cry easily.
- You might start to walk or move differently than before. You may suddenly stop walking, or start pacing all the time.
- You may have your knees drawn up to chest and rock like a baby.
- You may touch, rub, pull or pick at a body part that is hurting.
- You may start to pull away from peoples' touch and protect your arms or legs.
- You may suddenly begin to stumble or fall, when you had no problems before.
- You may sleep more or less than usual.
- You may start to whimper or groan quietly.
- You may become very confused suddenly, when there was no problem before.
You can also give a thought to speaking with a pathologist to learn more about new ways to communicate through Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) and the options that are available. Hear about different technology that supports communication, come and play with some of the latest equipment and discover their features for yourself. You will learn how our new ways to communicate through Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) service is able to support you and you to access assessments, trials, and applications to obtain new ways to communicate through Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) equipment.
Speech pathology and communication as a human right
By: Conor Burke in Clinical Focus, Top Stories September 3, 2020
As we grow older, communication skills can deteriorate – whether as a result of hearing loss, speech fluency or physical health – and an estimated 1.2 million Australians live with a communication disability.
Communication has been forefront of the minds of aged care residents and providers alike during the COVID-19 pandemic and the ability to communicate as a basic human right is often taken for granted.
Speech Pathology Australia believes that those with communication disabilities often suffer in silence as their symptoms are often unseen and out of sight, and this is exacerbated as we age.
Speech pathologist Danica Dalton spoke with Aged Care Insite about communication disabilities and what aged care providers can do to make the lives of residents better.
ACI: What’s the definition of a communication disability?
DD: I think a communication disability is anything that really impairs a person’s opportunity to communicate with others, whether that’s their family, friends, people out in the community, it doesn’t necessarily have to be as a result of a severe medical diagnosis.
It can be something more common like a hearing impairment. So that can be a communication disability, particularly if someone hasn’t received appropriate hearing support, or it can be something more severe that impacts a person’s ability to put together words, find the right way to put speech together, to make those sounds come together.
What effect does ageing have on communication?
We have changes in communication. So, there’s usually a range of comorbidities that are occurring at the same time. You might have a bit of a hearing impairment. There are age-related changes that occur to the voice as well, so they can become quieter, it’s sometimes harder to project.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Find a Certified Practising Member of Speech Pathology AustraliaHow to search:
- Enter the postcode or suburb of where you would like to find a Certified Practising member
- Add the age of the client or area of practice or type of practice or a combination if you are not sure (you don’t have to use these functions though)
- Press ‘Search’ (it takes about 8 seconds to bring up the results)
- Scroll down the page to find the list. All results are randomised.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Speech Pathologists are professionals who study, diagnose and treat communication disorders.
- They work with individuals who have difficulty communicating because of problems that can affect speech and language.
- They even help people who have trouble swallowing drink and food safely.
- They can work in specialist intervention for children with deafness or hearing impairment, intellectual disability, cerebral palsy or autism.
- From stuttering, social skills, literacy, effects of a stroke or brain injury on communication, learning or intellectual disability, dementia or hearing loss, a Speech Pathologist can assist in communication strategies to improve clarity or fluency, or signs, symbols, gestures and other forms of assisted communication.
Speech pathologists assess a person's communication needs. Then design options for Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) systems and making recommendations on which AAC system would be best in different situations. Examples of AAC are both aided - like pictures, Communication Boards and non aided like gestures and body language.
Speech Pathologists can work alongside other professionals like Occupational Therapists.
https://www.ideas.org.au/blogs/speech-pathology-week.html
- = - = - = - = - = - = - = - =
and Your Hearing...
People with communication difficulties may benefit from technology and equipment to support getting their message across more effectively. This is an exciting field that is expanding rapidly as technology improves.
You are invited to come along to Level One showroom, Newmarket Village, 400 Newmarket Road
Newmarket QLD 4051
lifetec.org.au
or email [email protected]
or call on 1300 543 383
---------------------------------
Find a Speech Pathologist
https://about.healthdirect.gov.au/nhsd
Click on "More Services". Scroll down and click on "Speech Pathology/Therapy".
Gold Coast University Hospital - Speech Pathology
Speech pathology/therapy
Phone 1300 744 284
Website http://www.health.qld.gov.au/goldcoasthealth/
Address 1 Hospital Boulevard SOUTHPORT 4215 QLD
Opening Hours
Weekday: 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM
Payment Options
Bulk Billing Available
Appointment Required
Yes
---------------------------------
Some health care professionals erroneously believe that the elderly are less sensitive to pain, or give weak doses of pain medications for fear that older patients will not tolerate opioids. They may equate pain management with addiction, or various other avenues of fear authority based.
Pain Management and Monitoring:
Sometimes the elderly are not able to speak about their pain. This may be further complicated with illness or injuries like dementia, brain damage, or a stroke. This makes it very hard for caregivers and family to recognise the existence of pain.
Monitoring the use of analgesics and other pain medication is time consuming. In nursing homes, pain management may be limited if staffing is inadequate. Also, some nursing homes are unwilling to stock restricted drugs that may be useful in the treatment of pain.
Diagnosing a senior’s pain may be difficult. Although grimacing, restlessness, moaning, and agitation may often indicate pain, they are not definitive signs of pain.
The under-treatment of pain has been considered neglect, negligence, or even elder abuse. If you are concerned about the under-treatment of your elderly relative’s pain, talk to his or her physician and nursing team. Also keep records of the problem.
Prevalence of Pain in the ElderlyPain is reported to be twice as prevalent in the elderly as in younger individuals (Crook et al., 1984). In community-dwelling elders, the prevalence of pain ranges from 25-50% (Mobily et al., 1994).
In the long-term care setting, prevalence can be as high as 85% (Stein et al., 1996).