What is Speech-Language Pathology?

Speech Language Pathologists at the Misericordia Community Hospital & Health Centre provide consultation, assessment, treatment and counseling to ADULT inpatients and outpatients with communication and swallowing difficulties. Such difficulties might be associated with

• Disease (e.g. stroke, cancer, progressive illness)
• Accident (e.g. head injury, damage to the throat)
• Lifestyle (e.g. abuse or misuse of the voice)
• Other (e.g. mental illness, unknown causes)

Individuals might have difficulty in one or more of the following areas:

• Language (understanding or expression through use of gestures, words, facial expression, reading, writing, etc.)
• Speech (making, sequencing and coordinating sounds to form words, phrases, sentences, etc. that are easily understood by others)
• Fluency (expression using words that flow in a smooth and well-coordinated manner)
• Voice (using appropriate pitch, loudness and quality of the voice)
• Swallowing (maintaining safe and adequate nutrition through well-coordinated, efficient movements of the muscles of the mouth and throat)

The purpose of treatment is to improve communication and swallowing or to discover alternative ways of managing permanent communication or swallowing difficulties. Treatment is usually provided on an individual basis with involvement from family members, caregivers and other members of the health care team (e.g. spouses, children, occupational therapists, social workers, etc.) when appropriate.

There is no fee for service. Priority is given to inpatients. There is an outpatient waiting list for all other referrals. Referrals are accepted by phone, fax or mail from physicians, other health care professionals, individuals and families/caregivers.

For further information please contact:

Speech Language Pathology
Misericordia Community Hospital and Health Centre
16940-87 Avenue
Edmonton, Alberta T5R 4H5

Phone: 930-5757
Fax: 930-5664