Don’t Forget Your SLP: Integrating Speech Pathology into Long-Term Care Programming

By Elyse Matson, MA CCC-SLP, SLP Resource

 In many long-term care facilities, the spotlight in risk meetings and interdisciplinary programming often shines on physical therapy (PT) and occupational therapy (OT). These disciplines are critical for mobility, ADLs, and fall prevention — but they’re only part of the picture. Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) bring expertise that is just as essential to safe, effective care and should be consistently included in these processes.

Why Include SLP?

SLPs address swallowing, communication, and cognition — all of which directly impact safety, quality of life, and regulatory outcomes. A resident who cannot swallow safely, express needs, or follow directions is at higher risk for aspiration pneumonia, malnutrition, dehydration, rehospitalization, and even falls.

These risks are not just clinical — they directly tie to survey citations and quality measures, such as weight loss, hydration status, pressure injuries, and hospital readmissions. By integrating SLP into your long-term care programming, you not only protect residents but also reduce survey vulnerability.

Key Opportunities for Integration

●      Risk Meetings: Identify residents with recent weight loss, risk for dehydration, change in eating habits, falls, or even changes in skin.

●      Change of Condition (COC): Communication or swallowing changes are often among the first indicators of a broader medical shift (e.g., UTI, stroke, progressive dementia). Early SLP involvement ensures timely evaluation, documentation, and intervention, which can prevent decline or rehospitalization. A sudden change in communication can be just as urgent as a fall, just a bit harder to see. 

●      Care Planning: SLP recommendations guide safe diet textures and liquid levels, strategies to support communication between staff and residents, and cognitive interventions that help residents remain engaged and oriented. These strategies ripple outward, improving not just the resident’s outcomes but also the entire care team’s effectiveness.

●      Staff Training: SLPs can provide inservices on safe feeding techniques, use of communication supports, dementia-care strategies, and aspiration precautions. This knowledge empowers CNAs, nurses, and other staff to carry out best practices consistently.

The Big Picture

When SLPs are active participants in IDT discussions, risk meetings, and ongoing care planning, facilities can more effectively identify risks, intervene early, and support high-quality outcomes. Inclusion of speech pathology alongside PT and OT is not just best practice — it’s a key strategy for improving safety, reducing rehospitalizations, and ensuring residents thrive in their daily lives.