Assessment and Therapy for Language and Cognitive Communication Difficulties in Dementia and Other Progressive Diseases

Across the globe, the increase in current life expectancy means that significant growth in the number of people living with dementia can be expected. This has led, and will continue to lead, towards more and more patients being referred and demanding impairment-based therapies from SLTs.

This book provides an essential resource to support clinicians in their day-to-day practice, and particularly highlights how familiar therapy approaches can be transferred to this client group. It specifically addresses language and cognitive communication, describing assessment and therapy and impairment-based approaches, and describes how to integrate these with more functional strategies.

About the Author

Anna Volkmer is a Highly Specialist Speech and Language Therapist with the South London and the Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust.

What they are saying about this book:

…This book is a valuable guide for therapists working with this diverse group of clients [degenerative patients with communication problems]…

Read the Neuropsychological Rehabilitation review.

…The honesty with which the author acknowledges areas of confusion and challenge for clinicians working with this client group is refreshing and will give permission for clinicians to be equally candid.

Read the International Journal of Communication Language Disorders review.

…The timing of this book could not be better with the current focus on dementia services…

Read The Bulletin review.

Table of Contents

1. How can speech and language therapy services meet the needs of people with dementia?
2. Assessment
3. Treatment planning and goal setting
4. Therapy and management: Language impairment
5. Therapy and management: Cognitive communication difficulties
6. Therapy and management: Conversation partners
7. Decision making and capacity in dementia: Our role as speech and language therapists
8. Measuring outcomes of therapy
9. Finishing touches: Maintenance, review and discharge
10. Afterword and useful contacts

Published 28 August 2013

ISBN 978-1-907826-18-4
Price: £24.99, [+postage and packing*]