St. Luke celebrates ‘Better Hearing and Speech Month’
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News from St. Luke Community Healthcare
RONAN — May is “Better Hearing and Speech Month,” so St. Luke is raising awareness for communication disorders and those who treat them. Hearing loss and voice, speech, and language disorders are all recognized during this month. About 40 million Americans have a communication disorder.
St. Luke has a strong speech therapy department. Full-time speech language pathologists Eve Tolbert and Charlotte Delaney work with adults and children to alleviate communication disorders. They see patients in inpatient and outpatient settings and in nursing homes. In addition to being a speech language pathologist, Tolbert is also an audiologist. In that role she diagnoses and treats hearing problems.
According to Tolbert, speech and hearing problems can be a significant inconvenience. “Almost everything you do in life is based on communication,” she said.
The speech-language pathologists’ work extends far beyond helping patients say sounds correctly. They also help patients with language cognition, voice fluency, and swallowing.
Delaney said that when she helps patients with swallowing disorders, it empowers them to be part of an important social activity: eating with a group.
Those who feel that they or someone they know would benefit from a consultation with a speech or hearing specialist should talk to their primary care physician. Changes in memory, voice, or choking during eating could indicate that an adult should see a speech-language pathologist. Children who do not meet language and speech milestones might need to go to speech therapy.
To celebrate “Better Hearing and Speech Month,” St. Luke will provide free hearing screenings for adults. Those interested can call 406-528-5273, to make an appointment. The screenings will take 15 minutes.
