Dementia is a disease of the brain that can result in a range of difficulties, including communication, safe eating, drinking and swallowing (dysphagia). Speech and language therapists support people with dementia and those caring for them by assessing their needs and delivering direct interventions to support communication, safe eating, drinking and swallowing difficulties. They also support other professionals to recognize dementia-related symptoms and to recognize and support each person as an individual.
How Speech And Language Therapy Can Help
Speech and language therapists have the specialist knowledge and skills to diagnose, directly assess and support
problems in relation to communication, safe eating, drinking and swallowing. They:
• Work with individuals and those caring for people living with dementia throughout the course of dementia to identify
communication needs
• Are able to work with those caring for people living with dementia and people with dementia to help maintain their
interpersonal relationships
• Are uniquely qualified to assess an individual’s ability to understand and to communicate that understanding to
optimize a person’s choice, degree of control and capacity to consent to treatment and care
• Play an important role in the assessment and management of eating, drinking and swallowing problems to prevent
malnutrition and dehydration, and reduce the risk of repeated chest infections, pneumonia and choking