Crews News | July 2024
July 1, 2024 | Russell Crews, President & CEO
by Russell Crews, President and Chief Executive Officer
Our Therapy Team provides more than the traditional physical, occupational, and speech therapies. The team goal is to continuously assess the issues of our residents to determine if and how CC Young can better serve our residents. This assessment, hand in hand with program development, leads the team to excellence. An example of this process can be seen in our specialization on therapies for those with Parkinson’s Disease.
CC Young has long partnered with the Dallas Area Parkinson Society and is a recipient of program development grants from Parkinson Voice Project. SPEAK OUT! is a standardized speech therapy program developed by Parkinson Voice Project to help individuals with Parkinson’s and related movement disorders regain and retain speech and swallowing. Individual and weekly group maintenance sessions work on speech, but also provide a safe space for learning and understanding the diagnosis for both participants and care supporters.
Lori Sanders has been at CC Young for 10 years and is a Speech Pathologist who specializes in diagnostics and therapy for voice and swallowing disorders related to Parkinson’s. Lori received her competency training in transnasal endoscopy using Flexible Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing (FEES), allowing for identification of aspiration which is essential for individuals with Parkinson’s. In addition to speech therapy sessions, Lori provides residents and patients with educational support to have a better understanding of their disease and ways to intentionally improve their symptoms.
Lori shared, “The voice program we run as part of a grant received from Parkinson Voice Project is so much more than voice therapy and the maintenance group, we call Loud Crowd. Together we create and hold a safe place for each valued/precious member to thrive, struggle, overcome, share, and be heard. Through our work together we help identify other areas that we can be of service to our members whether it be through physical therapy, swallowing diagnostics, or occupational therapy.”
In addition to improving the quality of life for residents, the FEES equipment and training adds an additional benefit to CNAs and therapy staff. As a result of having the specialized training and equipment on site, the therapy and nursing departments benefit from improved knowledge and awareness of swallowing disorders and can better care for the residents they serve.
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