Adult Speech and Language Therapy - Information for patients and carers

Supporting communication and swallowing difficulties.

Supporting communication and swallowing difficulties.

Our aim

• To assess and treat communication and swallowing difficulties
• To provide information and education about communication and swallowing difficulties
• To support patients and carers adjust to life with communication and/or swallowing difficulties
• To agree goals for therapy with the patient and family in order to maximise independence with swallowing and communication.
• To liaise with other health and social care professionals, social support services and charities, in providing optimum care e.g. physiotherapy, Motor Neurone Disease Association

Who can refer me?

• GPs
• Other speech and language therapists
• Other health and social care professionals working with acquired neurological conditions.

Areas of therapy

• Communication and/or swallowing difficulties related to neurological conditions e.g. Parkinson’s disease, brain tumours, stroke
• Communication and/or swallowing difficulties related to other medical or surgical conditions.
• Dysfluency.

NB Communication problems may include difficulties with any of the following: speech, language expression & comprehension, reading and/ or writing. 

Appointments

• At Wayside Surgery, Oxted Therapies Unit, via video consultation or in the home when the patient is unable to attend a clinic
• Appointments will last approximately 60 minutes
• An assessment may be followed by a period of therapy with goals agreed by both the patient and speech & language therapist. 
• Individual or group therapy may be available 
• As part of an agreed therapy programme, regular home practice may be required. 

The service is not commissioned to provide support for:

• Learning disabilities. Refer to Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation 01737 281 007
• Voice disorders (dysphonia). Refer to Adult Speech and Language Therapy, SASH, East Surrey Hospital, 01737 768 511 ext 6086
• Head and neck cancer. Refer to Adult Speech and Language Therapy, Royal Surrey Hospital, Guildford 01483 417 400 ext 4492.

Other services we offer:

• Social Communication Therapy Group supporting people with communication difficulties after brain injury e.g. stroke, in the group setting;
• Motor Neurone Disease Forum collaborating with numerous services across health & social care, also the MNDA charity, to support people living with motor neurone disease and their families;
• Conversation Partner Scheme collaborating with the Tandridge Voluntary Services Council to support conversations of people living with communication difficulties at home;
• Parkinson’s Disease Communication Therapy Group working with Parkinson’s UK to support communication in people living with Parkinson’s disease
• The Loud Crowd monthly communication support group for people living with Parkinson’s disease, assisted by Parkinson’s UK;
• Stammering Therapy Group supporting people who stammer and allowing experiences to be shared;
• Aphasia Awareness Training to increase knowledge of communication difficulty in people living with aphasia and how to provide support, involving staff throughout the organisation;
• Care Home Training to increase awareness and understanding in care staff of how to support swallowing difficulties.

www.mssociety.org.uk

Tel: 0208 438 0700

supportercare@mssociety.org.uk

The Stroke Association

Tel: 0207 566 1531

Adult Speech & Language Therapy contact details:

For further information about the Speech and Language service please contact:

• 01883 733 891
• fchc.slt@nhs.net

First Community provides front-line NHS community healthcare services in east Surrey and parts of West Sussex.

We provide first-rate care, through our first-rate people, offering first-rate value. For more information visit: www.firstcommunityhealthcare.co.uk

If you would like this information in another format, for example large print or easy read, or if you need help communicating with us:

First Community (Head Office)

Call: 01737 775450 Email: fchc.enquiries@nhs.net Text: 07814 639034

Address: First Community Health and Care, Orchard House, Unit 8a, Orchard Business Centre, Bonehurst Road, Redhill RH1 5EL

• Twitter: @1stchatter
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