toh

Overview

Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs) at The Ottawa Hospital (TOH) provide assessment and recommendations to adults with communication and swallowing disorders.

These difficulties may be related to a variety of medical conditions such as neurological changes due to stroke or brain injury, degenerative diseases  (e.g., Parkinson’s Disease or Alzheimer’s Dementia), cancers or treatments for those cancers (e.g., surgery or chemoradiation), prolonged intubation or significant weakness related to ICU admission.

The role of the SLP at TOH is to help improve swallowing and communication abilities.  The goal is to help improve patients’ quality of life while facilitating a safe, timely discharge and reducing the risk for readmission.  SLPs work with the patient, family and healthcare team to identify communication and swallowing needs, and to provide recommendations that help improve function and reduce limitations to activity and participation in everyday life.

Our Services

We provide services to inpatients who need help with:

• Understanding, speaking, remembering, and thinking after a stroke or a brain injury
• Communicating with others because of a progressive neurological disease such as Parkinson’s Disease, Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrig’s), or Alzheimer’s Disease
• Swallowing food and liquids. SLPs may suggest using instrumental assessments to see what is happening when swallowing is not working normally. The two assessments which may be used are: 1) videofluoroscopic swallow studies (VFSS) – an x-ray taken while eating and drinking and 2) Fiberoptic Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing (FEES) – use of a scope with a camera on the end to see what’s happening while eating and drinking.
• Speaking and/or swallowing due to cancer
• Speaking and/or swallowing when there is a tracheotomy tube

Speech-Language Pathologists also work individually or as members of multidisciplinary teams to provide a number of outpatient services.  These include assessment and management of:

• Swallowing difficulties (VFSS)
• Communication changes following laryngectomy (including tracheoesophageal voice restoration)
• Communication by means of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) systems
• Voice disorder (assessment only)
• Communication and thinking challenges following a brain injury

Our Team

Speech-Language Pathologists have a Master’s degree in speech-language pathology from an accredited university program. They are registered by the College of Audiologists and Speech-Language Pathologists of Ontario (CASLPO) which is the regulatory body for the profession in Ontario.

Team Leaders

• Professional Practice Manager: Arran McAfee MSc (A), Aud (C), Reg. CASLPO
• Profession Leader: Avital Winer, M.Sc. SLP (C), Reg. CASLPO

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Last updated on: August 24th, 2022