27 April 2005
Speech and language therapists call for improved dementia services
The Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (RCSLT) is asking commissioners and service providers to examine the speech and language therapy services they provide for the 750,000 people with dementia across the UK.
The request comes in the new position paper, Speech and Language Therapy Provision for People with Dementia, released by an expert panel of speech and language therapists on the RCSLT website on 25 April.
RCSLT adviser and panel chair Mary Heritage said the position paper was the first time the profession had talked publicly about the unique contribution that speech and language therapy makes for people affected by dementia.
"Every person with dementia has a communication difficulty: that is one of the diagnostic criteria, and a language difficulty is often one of the very first presenting symptoms. Many people with dementia also have difficulties with eating, drinking and swallowing," Mary said.
"However, we know that access to speech and language therapy is patchy. While in some places there are centres of excellence where SLTs are an integral part of a specialist team, in many others therapists are struggling to accommodate the needs of people with dementia on general adult caseloads without the support of specialist colleagues. Elsewhere, people with dementia cannot access an SLT assessment, because of their diagnosis."
The paper was written for managers and commissioners to inform them of the benefits that SLTs can contribute and the risks of not providing an appropriate service.
"We hope SLT managers will be able to use it as a resource to support their case for additional funding where current service provision falls short of what the local population needs," Mary added.
Julia Cream, Head of public affairs at the Alzheimer's Society said, "We welcome this call for more speech and language therapy to be available to people with dementia.
"We often hear from people who are extremely concerned that the person that they care for is having difficulties swallowing but are not getting any specialist help.
"It is vital that people with dementia are able to access speech and language therapists as part of a good package of care and we hope that this report will go someway to improve services in this important area."
Key recommendations of the position paper include:
- The call for adequately-resourced speech and language therapy services to provide quality care for people with dementia.
- Speech and language therapy services for people with dementia should be provided within an integrated multidisciplinary context.
- "Cost per case" arrangements or service level agreements with minimal levels of provision for speech and language therapy are unlikely to provide a service of the quality and expertise that people with dementia require.
- Early speech and language therapy intervention is crucial so that people with dementia and their carers have their needs met in a timely way.
- Enhanced funding for speech and language therapy for people with dementia - in favour of access that is based on the person's needs rather than on their diagnosis or where they live.
Ends
Notes for editors:
The Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists is the professional body for speech and language therapists in the UK and has over 12,000 members. It is responsible for setting, promoting and maintaining high standards in education, clinical practice and ethical conduct. Visit: www.rcslt.org for more information.
For more information contact Steven Harulow, email: steven.harulow@rcslt.org tel: 020 7378 3004