The Community Speech and Language Therapy (SLT) team have recently introduced a new therapy programme for people with Parkinson’s.
The Speak Out! Therapy Programme, developed by Parkinson Voice Project, helps people with Parkinson’s and related neurological disorders regain and retain their speech. The treatment combines education, individual and group speech therapy, daily home practice, and continuous follow-ups.
Emily Jeffreys, Clinical Lead Speech and Language Therapist, said: “This is the first time the SLT team have been able to offer an evidence-based therapy programme to people with Parkinson’s. Speak Out! is relatively new to our service but the outcomes we have been getting, in terms of improvements to patients’ speech, their perceptions of their communication ability and their confidence to be able to communicate in scenarios they’d avoided, have far surpassed anything we’ve been able to offer before.”
The programme has been well received by patients across the service, including Bob Edwards, a patient who has completed the therapy programme. Here, he writes a first-hand ‘patient story’ about his experience.
Bob’s Speak Out story
“My name is Bob Edwards, and I am 76 years of age. It was about five years ago I noticed that I had started to lose my voice strength and volume, stuttering over words and walking with stiffness. I was also unsteady on my feet.
“As time went on, the stammer became more pronounced, which resulted in a lack of confidence, especially if I had to use the telephone, either on private calls or business calls, which were very stressful. I also found that if I was in a social situation I would try to avoid having any long, meaningful conversations with people. Previous to that I had a very active social life and was a confident talker.
“After seeing the neurologist and Parkinson’s Nurse Specialist, I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s and it was this that was affecting my speech, with speech strength and dribbling as the main symptoms.
“I was referred for Speech and Language Therapy (SLT) and I was enrolled on to the Speak Out! therapy programme. It involved intensive therapy over four weeks.
“I would carry out therapy with the Speech and Language Therapists and individually with the vocal exercises on the Parkinson’s Voice Project website. There are various levels of exercises, starting at a relatively easy level and then becoming progressively harder. I really improved and felt much more confident week by week.
“I now attend the Speak Out! therapy group and find it extremely beneficial to me. The SLT team have been really great, and all my friends have noticed the improvement in my voice strength and my stammer not being so pronounced. People have commented that they feel the ‘old Bob is returning’.
“Every member of the SLT team has been magnificent and deserve a medal for what they have done for me! Without their help and guidance, and the Speak Out! therapy programme, I know I would be in a much worse position regarding my speech. In fact, I think I might have stopped talking in social situations altogether.
“I cannot express how thankful I am to the SLT team. In some way, they have given me my life back!”