Speak Out June 2018

Speechies in aged care

Danica Dalton is rewarded by the opportunity to support older people to make supported decisions and navigate the aged care system. Danica currently works in community health in Victoria. Her role involves working with adults 18+, including the ageing population, within a health centre, in homes and in the community to maximise independence and informed choice making for people with communication and swallowing difficulties. Danica can support clients from early diagnosis through to palliative and end-of- life care through low intensity therapy, monitoring and development of communication supports. Danica and her team also work closely with tertiary hospitals and case managers to ensure that our clients access the best level of service. Danica finds being able to make recommendations that have an impact on a person’s day-to-day life such as eating and drinking comfortably or being able to engage with those closest to them as the most rewarding aspect of her role. She highlights collaboration with the team as a key opportunity in ensuring that communication is identified as a basic human right and worthy of intervention. Danica feels that a key challenge for speech pathologists in aged care is the need for ongoing advocacy for the role of our profession within aged care and advocating for our clients and their decision- making, particularly when it comes to navigating the current aged care system and reform. Danica is a member of Speech Pathology Australia’s Aged Care Working Party.

resource SPEECH PATHOLOGY 2018 guide

Available now! www.speechpathologyaustralia.org.au/resourceguide

13

June 2018 www.speechpathologyaustralia.org.au

Speak Out