There are several medical conditions that can adversely impact the ability to communicate with others, especially as we age. Changes in our ability to communicate can be subtle, and go unnoticed for a long time, but they do have severe consequences if they are undiagnosed or untreated.
At Santa Ana’s South Coast Post Acute, the post-acute community of choice for patients, providers, and caregivers in Southern California, our highly skilled, compassionate staff of medical professionals knows and understands how to deal with issues that impact our community’s communication abilities. Having the finest post-hospital nursing is important to prevent irreversible damage to the communication functions in the brain. Although the following diseases are serious and can even be fatal, symptoms can be managed and damage held to a minimum with the right practices. We will work with you to give you the best speech and occupational therapy treatment. Here are some of the conditions that can affect communication of members of the South Coast Post Acute community:
Symptoms of Aphasia can appear after a head injury or stroke and include difficulty in expressing yourself and interpreting what is said or written by those around you. If you’re recovering from a stroke in a post-acute setting, make sure the staff is well-versed in assessing symptoms and developing a care plan to prevent the onset of aphasia. In occupational therapy sessions here at South Coast, our caring, well-trained team of medical professionals will develop a treatment regimen to deal with this disease that affects more than one million people around the world.
There are several causes of Dysarthria, a motor speech disorder that causes people to lose control of the tongue, larynx, vocal cords and surrounding muscles, weakening the speech mechanism and making it hard to form and pronounce words. There are several ways to get dysarthria, including a brain injury, stroke, a tumor, or cerebral palsy. It leads to slurred speech that is hard to understand. Because it’s difficult to recover some of the communication skills lost due to dysarthria, it’s crucial to start treatment as soon as possible. The occupational therapists at South Coast work with dysarthria patients on making their speech more understandable, through exercises that strengthen mouth and jaw muscles.
Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) is a rare disorder that strikes at any age, although it appears more frequently in adults and older people. It affects about one person in 100,000 each year. The initial symptoms of GBS are weakness and tingling in your extremities. It can spread quickly, eventually paralyzing your entire body. While the exact cause isn’t known, it is often preceded by an infectious illness, such as a respiratory infection or the stomach flu.
Parkinson’s Disease is a long-term degenerative disorder of the central nervous system. Symptoms generally develop over time and can include shaking, slowness of movement, rigidity, and difficulty with walking. It affects communication because people with Parkinson ’s can speak more softly and quickly, slur their words, and hesitate before starting a sentence. Our staff works with Parkinson’s patients by practicing daily routines and engaging in various social situations that can help reduce symptoms.
If you notice that you or your loved ones are starting to develop some of these conditions, it is imperative you seek help as soon as possible. Regardless of your communication issue, South Coast Post Acute can provide expert care and education on how to best deal with these challenges. Contact us today to learn more about Santa Ana’s choice for skilled nursing, rehabilitation therapy, post-hospital care or post-acute care.
Real People. Remarkable Care. South Coast Post Acute.