In-Home Medical SLP: Functional Speech & Swallowing Care That Removes Insurance Barriers

Medical speech-language pathologists (SLPs) are specialists who help people with communication and swallowing difficulties caused by illness, injury, or medical conditions. They work with patients who may have had a stroke, brain injury, neurological disease, cancer, or other health issues that affect speech, language, voice, or swallowing. Their job is to assess each patient’s abilities, create a treatment plan, and provide therapy to improve skills like speaking clearly, understanding language, using voice safely, or swallowing food and liquids without choking. They also educate families and caregivers, making sure patients can communicate and eat as safely and independently as possible.

Challenges Patients and Families Face

 As a medical speech-language pathologist, I have worked in virtually every setting imaginable, and my experience and counseling numerous families for almost 15 years now, have highlighted the following issues that keep occurring: insurance, lack of compassion or understanding of what the patients and their families are going through, lack of education on what options the patients have and their plan of care, patients being discharged from services (possibly due to the lack of progress) while they are not ready to graduate, difficulty or full inability to get to an outpatient clinic, and others. These are the many factors that are difficult to predict ahead of time.  

Based on this input collected over the years, I have created a simple and effective model where insurance is almost completely removed from the picture, and I see you in your home. That’s it. 

You don’t have to get ready and drive far for your appointment. We can have just one or  unlimited sessions depending on your wishes. All sessions are completely individualized and will address only what you would like help with. Since I am in your home, I can see better how you really function on a day-to-day basis, and we can make adjustments accordingly, which is far more effective than seeing each other at a clinic in many cases. This way, I will also get more opportunities to interact with your loved ones and coach them as well. 

Safety and Professional Accountability

As a licensed speech-language pathologist, I undergo multiple background checks on a yearly basis: Federal Bureau of Investigation check, state criminal history check, child abuse clearance, adult abuse clearance, sex offender registry check, drug screenings and physicals. Personally, I definitely pay attention to whom I invite into my home, and I am sure that you do the same. I want to reassure you that you are welcome to request to see my most recent updated paperwork whenever you need it. 

What “Functional Therapy” Really Means

I, finally, want to say a couple of words about what “functional therapy” actually means. It means that we are working on something that will make a difference for you you either right away or very fast. If you tell me that your attention or memory deficits prevent you from safely cooking breakfast on the stove, we probably will address that in your home in addition to cognitive tasks using pen and paper. If you cannot see very well after your stroke, I might train you on how your can use your vision to perceive more information or make sure that home practice materials are a video that you can listen to instead of reading the text. If you are experiencing voice problems, in addition to exercises or massage, we will review your diet and life style to bring you results faster. In therapy, we use family pictures, work projects, hobbies, shopping, browsing online, in addition to more traditional cognitive-linguistic exercises.

When you work with me, you will always be clear on what we are doing and why. You and I will create a therapeutic alliance and work together towards your goals. 

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