Speech Language Therapy - Community | Waitematā

Waitakere Hospital

Contact Details

Phone (09) 486 8945 ext 43222 (8.00am - 4.00pm; Monday to Friday)
Email OlderAdultsHomeHealth@Waitematadhb.govt.nz (for referrals)

Please telephone the Referral Screener on the number above for all requests, information and advice.

Street Address

Lincoln Road
Henderson
Waitakere

Postal Address

Allied Health
Te Whatu Ora Health New Zealand - Waitematā
PO Box 93 503
Takapuna
North Shore 0740

Description

About the Service
Working as part of a multidisciplinary team, community speech-language therapists provide assessment and intervention for people aged 16 and over with acquired communication and/or swallowing difficulties.  Interventions are patient centred and are aimed at working towards patient and whānau/caregiver needs and goals.

Interventions include:

  • Providing swallowing and communication assessment and advice.
  • Rehabilitation programmes aimed at achieving a person's desired level of independence, social participation and wellbeing within their environment.
  • Supporting patients in finding ways to compensate for and adapt to their changed/changing communication and swallowing associated with their medical condition.

Contact with community speech-language therapists may be over the phone, over video-call, in a clinic, or at home, depending on the patient's needs.  

Communication and swallowing problems can be caused by lots of health issues including:

  • stroke
  • brain injury (these patients are usually seen by therapists contracted under ACC)
  • degenerative conditions such as Parkinson's disease, dementia, and motor-neurone disease
  • respiratory conditions such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and recurrent pneumonia
  • cancer of the head, neck, throat, and brain

Common Conditions

  • Aphasia

    Aphasia (also referred to as dysphasia) is a language disorder where the person's ability to use language to communicate is impaired in some way.  This can include speaking, understanding, reading, writing, and/or using numbers.  
    Aphasia 
    AphasiaNZ Charitable Trust

  • Apraxia

    Apraxia is a speech disorder characterised by difficulty coordinating the muscles needed to talk. 
    Apraxia

  • Dysarthria

    Dysarthria is a speech disorder caused by muscle weakness or spasticity.  
    Dysarthria

  • Dysphagia

    Dysphagia is difficulty with swallowing.  This can be on food, drink, and/or saliva.   
    Dysphagia
    Feeding the Dependent Person

Community speech-language therapists are able to access the services of the  Auckland wide Volunteer Stroke Scheme.  This service recruits volunteers to meet with clients in the community who have communication impairments following a stroke.  These volunteers are trained as 'conversation partners' and use total communication strategies to give the client opportunities to experience effective two-way communication and social interaction.  Clients referred to the scheme by community speech-language therapists may either receive one-to-one visits from a volunteer and/or attend a communication group.  To access the scheme, people must first be assessed and referred by a Te Whatu Ora speech-language therapist within the Auckland region.  
Volunteer Stroke Scheme

Referral Expectations

According to service specifications provided by the funder, referrals to community speech-language therapy are taken from self or, with the patient's permission:  family/ whānau, GPs, hospital staff, specialists and other health professionals.

Entry Criteria for Adult Community Services

  • People who are at risk of deterioration in health status as a result of swallowing or communication difficulties.
  • People who are compromised in their ability to participate in everyday tasks or activities of choice due to communication or swallowing difficulties.
  • People who may benefit from referral to the Volunteer Stroke Scheme to provide supported communication opportunities (including residents of residential aged care).
  • Residential aged care residents who require assessment and advice for a swallowing or communication problem (however these require approval from a GP or residential care physician).  Referral form

Referrals are not accepted for the following:

  • Children under the age of 16 years
  • Residents living in residential homes / care facilities who require ongoing communication therapy
  • ACC patients
  • Children with a disability who are over 16 and still attend school (seen by Child Development Service)
  • Patients with congenital and/or developmental difficulties and no acute change in communication or swallowing function
  • Patients with a diagnosis of dementia who require communication advice.  Please see here for advice - Communication and Dementia Dementia NZ
  • Voice disorders which are not associated with progressive neurological conditions or head and neck cancer.  These patients are seen by the Auckland Voice Clinic and require assessment by an Otolaryngologist first


Please telephone the Referral Screener for all requests, information and advice:
Phone: (09) 486 8945 ext 43222 (8.00am - 4.00pm; Monday to Friday)
Email:  OlderAdultsHomeHealth@waitematadhb.govt.nz (for referrals) 

Referral to the Volunteer Stroke Scheme

People must first be assessed and referred by a Te Whatu Ora speech-language therapist within the Auckland region.
Phone:  (09) 441 8959 ext 43012 or 0800 487 700

 

Speech Language Therapists at Te Whatu Ora - Waitematā also see:

Hours

Mon – Fri 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM

Except on Public Holidays

Services Provided

Speech language therapy

Website

www.waitematadhb.govt.nz/

https://healthpoint.co.nz./public/allied-health/speech-language-therapy-community-waitemata/