Phoniatric Rehabilitation

Therapy Features

Phoniatric rehabilitation provides therapy for dysphagia, dysartria and dysphonia affected patients. Disorders in swallowing, slurred speech and vocals are often associated with many neurological diseases. These include stroke, head injury, Parkinson's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and multiple sclerosis. Phoniatric rehabilitation is carried out with the support of two specialists: the speech pathology doctor, making the clinical and instrumental evaluation, and speech therapists specialized in the treatment of phoniatric disorders.

How to Access the Rehabilitation

Phoniatric Rehabilitation is delivered to inpatients admitted to the Santa Lucia Hospital or to outpatients treated on day hospital basis. Access to rehabilitation on day hospital basis must be prescribed by a specialist doctor of the Clinic of Otolaryngology and Phoniatrics of the Santa Lucia Foundation.

Focus on Dysphagia

Difficulty in swallowing (dysphagia), which mean also difficulty in taking food and liquids, is one of the most frequently treated in the neuromotor rehabilitation programs of the Santa Lucia Foundation. The goal of this kind of rehabilitation is to achieve functional swallowing to ensure a safe, adequate nutrition and hydration, as well as the ability to take oral medications.

The inpatient that experiences problems with dysphagia, undergoes a phoniatric visit at the request of his referring physician at the hospital ward. When evaluating, the speech therapist can perform a fiber optic endoscopy with bolus test and observe the patient swallowing solids, semi-solids and liquids and analyze their route from the mouth to the esophagus. In this manner, swallowing deficits can be identified and the most appropriate rehabilitation protocol can be established. The outcome of the evaluation is then shared with the speech therapist who will take charge of the patient care. The phoniatric evaluation occurs together with an assessment of the Clinical Nutrition Service.

The different phases of the treatment are recorded in the rehabilitation sheet attached to the medical record of the patient. During the course of treatment interim evaluations of the speech pathologist occur. At discharge, a final evaluation is performed leading to the development of a dietary-speech therapy protocol, which indicates to family members and caregivers how to prepare and manage the meals of the patient discharged.

The outpatient on day hospital basis undergoes phoniatric rehabilitation on an individual or group basis, depending on the severity of the swallowing disorder. Procedures for evaluation of the clinical and therapeutic treatment are the same as those adopted for the hospitalized inpatient. The Day Hospital patient has the ability to take a meal on site and thus receive training, assistance and supervision in swallowing during mealtime.