How to Help When Your Loved One’s Voice Starts to Change
Speech Therapy in Culpeper County VA
You may have noticed that your elderly loved one’s voice sounds differently than it did when she was younger. It might be quieter, and she’s unable to raise her voice to higher volumes. It could also be more raspy, where each word sounds like she has a tickle in her throat. Or it could be shaky, making it difficult to understand and for her to feel like she can partake in conversations.
Why Voice Changes as a Person Ages
As a person ages, the larynx tends to become stiffer and more inflexible. The vocal folds that create voice need to be moist, strong, and flexible to create a smooth voice and as they lose that moisture and muscle structure, they begin to atrophy and no longer work as well as they used to. The process creates a voice disorder, otherwise known as dysphonia, and while it changes the voice of your loved one, it can also have some health impacts if not treated correctly.
Impact of Dysphonia on Your Loved One’s Life
If you notice your loved one’s voice is changing and it’s creating issues for her, a thorough examination is important to determine if it is caused by any other health conditions. Cancers of the throat and other conditions may create dysphonia-like symptoms. But for many, the condition is brought on by aging and the general breakdown of the larynx and vocal cords. While it may not present any physical health concerns, the change and possible loss of her voice can impact other important parts of her life.
Socially, dysphonia can have a negative impact on your loved one. It can make trying to have conversations in large groups extremely difficult and cause your loved one to stay at home instead of attending those events she used to enjoy. She may start to feel disconnected from her community, her peers, and even her family.
Emotionally, dysphonia can start to erode your loved one’s self-confidence and feelings of well-being. Becoming isolated causes depression, loneliness, and sometimes even paranoia. Your loved one may feel like an outsider looking in on her old life without knowing how to re-engage.
Dysphonia can also make it difficult for your loved one to communicate her needs to others. She might find she can’t place an order in a drive-through anymore, or clearly tell her bank teller what she needs. She might struggle to have conversations with her doctor about health concerns or with her mechanic about car trouble. Not being able to speak clearly can interfere with practically everyone she’ll come in contact with.
Speech Therapy can Help Manage Dysphonia Symptoms
With in-home speech therapy, a therapist can come directly to your loved one’s home and evaluate her. Her in-home speech therapy provider will perform an evaluation that will help her create a customized treatment plan for your loved one. She will work with your loved one, helping her learn techniques and tricks that can exercise her larynx as well as discover how to project a clearer and louder voice so that she can communicate with those around her.
Learning just a few skills from a speech therapist can open up doors for your loved one to step back into the world she loves and reengage with the people who matter to her.
If you or an aging loved one are considering speech therapy in Culpeper County, VA, please contact the caring staff at LivinRite Home Care. Serving Northern Virginia, The Valley, and Surrounding Communities – call us today at (703) 369-6677.
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