Many older Americans suffer from acute and chronic communication disorders resulting from stroke, head and neck cancer, and neurological diseases, and although speech and language therapy can often improve symptoms and mitigate the impact of communication disorders, access to qualified providers may be limited for some patients due to: poor social supports, finances, or geographical constraints.

For patients with limited physical access to speech-language pathology services, Telehealth, the process of providing services by videoconferencing or web interfaces is becoming an increasingly popular avenue for ensuring patients obtain necessary care from home.

Join us as we explore the current and potential benefits and barriers for treating communication disorders using the telehealth platform.

Guest/s:

Erica  James, MA, CCC-SLP. The Voice and Swallowing Center, Waldo Hospital, Maine, the only program in the US to be accredited to provide speech telepractice training by the American Telemedicine Association (ATA).  Erica is experienced in providing speech and voice therapy in person and via the computer using a secure telerehabilitation platform.

David Poskanzer, MBA, is the Vice President of Sales and Customer Care for Constant Therapy and he has been instrumental in launching the Constant Therapy mobile app and providing ongoing training and guidance to patients, therapists and 3rd party payers who are invested in accelerating the recovery from stroke and traumatic brain injury.

 As always, YOU can join the discussion by calling, sending an email to: [email protected] or tweet: @voiceaerobics#telepractice

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John Pepper was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 1992 and,ten years later, while serving as President of the South African Parkinson’s Association, he wrote the first edition of his book: There is LIFE after Parkinson’s. He developed the idea that exercise might help his condition and through self-experimentation he developed an exercise and movement protocol that includes vigorous walking.

John's personal story about his journey through Parkinson's disease, his setbacks, achievements, discoveries, disappointments, and ultimate triumph, may fly in the face of how a Parkinson's diagnosis is viewed by others, who may see it as a grim prognosis of unavoidable and relatively rapid decline. John believes that the lack of hopeful information only feeds depression and negative attitudes, stating: "you cannot maintain or improve your quality of life if you don't believe it's possible."

John was featured in Norman Doidges' book "The Brain's Way of Healing" as A Man Who Walked off His Parkinsonian Symptoms, and today at 82, years young he is devoting the rest of his life to sharing his story, teaching others with Parkinson's how he did it - how he reversed the most disabling of his symptoms and reclaimed his life.

Please join us as John shares his personal philosophy and experience of being able to manage the symptoms of Parkinson’s and live an active and positive life.     

To visit John’s website: http://www.reverseparkinsons.net/            

email questions before or during the podcast to: [email protected], or call in and join the conversation! Send us a tweet: @voiceaerobics

Aphasia impairs a person's ability to process language, and/or their ability to speak and understand others, but does not affect intelligence.

As a result of their difficulty communicating, people with aphasia may experience great isolation and frustration in their daily lives, which is often made worse by the lack of information that they receive about their condition, and the majority leave the health care system without referrals to resources in their own communities.

Voices of Hope for Aphasia, is a community based program that was the brainchild of a patient and his wife, and it was designed to provide the communication bridges that will help people with aphasia do the things that are most important to them, and take part in their own life. Voices of Hope for Aphasia reconnects people, living with aphasia, with their lives through innovative programs.

Guests: Jackie Hinckley, PhD, Executive Director, Voices of Hope for Aphasia, and Associate Professor Emeritus at the University of South Florida, has over 25 years of experience directing clinical and research programs that specialize in the treatment of aphasia and related neurologic communication disorders. Dr. Audrey Holland, Professor Emeritus of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences at the University of Arizona. Dr. Holland and has published over 125 research articles, textbooks and clinical tools including: Counseling in Communication Disorders: A Wellness Perspective

If you are someone living with, or loving someone with aphasia, or, if you are a professional working with people with aphasia, please join the podcast with your questions for my guest.

 

 

 

 

 

Upon graduating from New York's American Academy of Dramatic Arts, Kathryn landed the ingénue lead in the classic Gothic daytime drama Dark Shadows, and later wrote My Scrapbook Memories of Dark Shadows to coincide with the 20th anniversary of the show. While writing the book and continuing her acting career, Kathryn launched Pomegranate Press, Ltd.

Last Dance at the Savoy, her recent book, is a touching memoir and love story that chronicles the challenges of living with her husband’s medical diagnosis of PSP (Progressive Supranuclear Palsy). Kathryn’s active and creative life nearly came to a halt when her husband, Geoff Miller, founding editor of Los Angeles magazine, was diagnosed with PSP.

PSP is often a Parkinson’s look-alike in the initial stages, but, once its unique characteristics are recognized, the course is often more rapid and less amiable to treatment. Unfortunately, PSP has not received the same attention as some related neurological diseases, and yet, as our population ages, prime-of-life diseases, such as PSP, will unfortunately increase.

While Kathryn has made a point of including insights and practical suggestions for carepartners in the book, this is far from medical reading, but instead, from the first few pages the reader will be lured into a romantic story.Last Dance at the Savoy is a love story about how this couple's commitment surmounts the daily challenges of facing an unknown future together.

Join the discussion by calling, sending an email to [email protected] or tweet:

@voiceaerobics @kathleighscott #CurePSP 

If the day you were diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, you thought it was the end of the world, you need to tune into this month's podcast. Why? Because, John Baumann, diagnosed with Parkinson’s at the age of 40, while practicing law, will tell you how, for him, a diagnosis of PD became a life saving event. John will reveal his success formula for living an amazing life-with or without Parkinson’s disease.

“My basic message is that, whatever hand life deals you (whether your fault or not), whatever life-changing adversity you have to endure, you still have some control over it, to not just live well, but live an AMAZING LIFE. It takes faith in yourself, discipline, determination, desire, intensity, inner strength. For me, it was having Parkinson’s disease in my 30’s; I am 54 today and have very few symptoms.

John, author of: DECIDE SUCCESS: Twelve Action Steps to Achieve the Success You Truly Desire, will join me to discuss the “secrets” of living well with Parkinson’s or any other adversity facing you. He will also put on is law hat and respond to questions about Parkinson’s and the workplace, social security disability, and other work place challenges individuals with PD may have confronted.

As always, YOU can join the discussion by calling, sending an email to: [email protected] or tweet @voiceaerobics #PD #decidesuccess 

Trust me when I say, whether you are a PWP, a carepartner, or professional, John’s message will resonate with all of you. You will laugh. You will cry. You will be inspired

Research has shown that intensive singing practice can lead to long-lasting changes in both the cardiovascular and pulmonary systems, and for several years now, researchers have begun to  examine whether singing can be used to treat some of the speech-motor abnormalities associated with various neurological conditions including Parkinson’s disease, stuttering, and aphasia following a stroke.

Join guests: Dr. Ludy Shih Assistant Professor of Neurology at  Harvard Medical School and Director of the Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) Program and the Movement Disorders Fellowship Program, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.

Kathleen Hansen, who holds a master of music degree specializing in conducting, and Director of two choruses for the San Diego Tremble Clefs®, a nationwide program, supporting the view that choral singing provides therapeutic benefit through:  breathing, stretching, posture activities, vocal exercise, rhythm and movement, and a strong social support system.

Please join the discussion and call in with your questions or comments. Send questions to:

 [email protected] send us a tweet @voiceaerobics #singing #PD #neurodisease

Singles now outnumber married people in the United States. In 2014 it was reported that, for the first time, the number of unmarried American adults outnumbered those who were married. One in 7 lives alone – about 31 million compared with 4 million in 1950 – and many of those are clustered in urban centers.  

The growth in the number of men living alone is especially dramatic, rising from less than 6 percent in 1970 to more than 12 percent in 2012, according to a Census Bureau report released in 2014, fifteen percent of households are women living alone.

The prevalence of Parkinson’s disease rises sharply with age, and with a three- to fourfold increase in disease rate within the United States is expected to occur over the next ten years, what will it mean for those who live alone?

As someone who lives alone, I experienced firsthand the turmoil an unexpected injury or illness can bring, when nearly two years ago I had a fall with a severe wrist fracture. As the sole earner, I was acutely aware of how quickly the dominoes could fall if I was unable to work and fulfill my life’s obligations.

Do you live alone? Do you have Parkinson’s? How do you approach work, medications, and appointments? What are your concerns about the future?  We want to hear from you.

Join me and guest: Dr. Paul Short, the Parkinson's Coach, a neuropsychologist specializing in work with individuals and families touched by movement disorders.

Send a tweet: @voiceaerobics @PDpsych  #Parkinson’s #single

Guests: Luis F. Riquelme, Ph.D, CCC-SLP, BCS-S, Director, Center for Swallowing and Speech-Language Pathology ,New York Methodist Hospital, and Associate Professor New York Medical College, and Ed Steger, President, National Foundation of Swallowing Disorders.  

Dysphagia (swallowing disorder) can occur during an acute illness, such as a stroke, or be the result of head and neck surgery, oral cancers or be associated with a chronic neurodegenerative disease. In all instances, a “failed swallow study,” can represent the beginning of a challenging time for many people, and for some set them on a quest to eat “normally” again.

Dr. Luis Riquelme, a dysphagia researcher and speech-language pathologist will discuss some of the current research findings and treatment trends in dysphagia. Ed Steger will share what he has learned firsthand living with dysphagia and the insight gained from contact with hundreds of patients and caregivers who have contacted the National Foundation of Swallowing Disorders looking for support and guidance.

About NFOSD: NFOSD’s mission is to provide patient hope and improve the quality of life for those suffering from all types of swallowing disorders.Visit: http://www.nfosd.org

Join the discussion by calling, sending an email or tweet

@voiceaerobics @NFOSD #dysphagia 

Could cultivating patience help you cope better with a diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease (PD)?

The majority of individuals with PD, responding to a 2015 Parkinson’s Alliance survey think so. They reported that patience helps them cope with their symptoms, and over half of the participants reported that patience increased their engagement in social activities.

You may have been told by your parents or teachers that patience is a virtue to acquire, but, do you really know what patience is and how it might actually help anyone cope with disease?

Join Guests: Carol Walton, CEO of the Parkinson Alliance, and Neuropsychologist, Jeffrey Wertheimer, PhD, who will discuss 2015 Parkinson's Alliance survey results on patience and exercise, and other aspects of physical and psychological well-being as it relates to individuals with PD.

Join the discussion.

The Parkinson’s Action Network (PAN) is the unified voice of the Parkinson’s community in the United States, advocating for better treatments and a cure. In partnership with other Parkinson’s organizations and a powerful grassroots network, their mission is to educate the public and government leaders on better policies for research and about issues affecting quality of life for people living with Parkinson’s.

PAN has a unique structure as the one organization in Washington, DC advocating on behalf of the entire Parkinson’s community. Research and innovation, access to care and medications, and data collection on Parkinson’s disease are among its many projects.

About my guests: Michael J. Church, Executive Director, Movers & Shakers, Naples, Florida, and Adrienne O’Neill, M.Div., South Carolina, are both living with the daily challenges of Parkinson’s disease diagnosis, but neither has time for feeling sorry for themselves, instead, they are actively working as their state’s representative to PAN. The issues that fuel their passions, the current activities of the national organization, and opportunities for your involvement, will be the subject of our discussion. “Advocacy is a year round activity undertaken with boldness and commitment to something bigger than ourselves.” Michael J. Church, Fl. State Director.

Have a question for my guests? Call toll free (888) 787-5265 and touch 1 on your phone keypad. Send an email to: [email protected] or @voiceaerobics #Parkinson’s #PAN