Voice Therapy With Seniors: Attendance, Outcomes, and Associated Patient Characteristics

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this study was to determine the attendance and success rates for seniors in voice therapy, identify any contributing patient-related factors, and compare results to existing findings for younger patients. Method This retrospective study included information from the voice records of 50 seniors seen by the same speech-language pathologist in a private practice. Analysis of attendance and outcome data divided participants into 6 groups. Outcomes for Groups 1–3 (64% of patients) were considered successful (positive voice change), while outcomes for Groups 4–6 (36% of patients) were considered unsuccessful. These data were compared to similar data collected for younger adults in a previous study. Results The attendance and success rates for seniors in this study were higher than those previously reported for younger patients. Further consideration of patient factors revealed that reports of increased stress, Reflux Symptom Index scores > 13, and higher Voice Handicap Index functional subscale scores were significant in distinguishing between patients in the successful and unsuccessful treatment outcome groups. Conclusions The relatively high attendance and success rates among this sample of seniors suggest the desire to achieve voice improvement does not diminish with age, and chances for success in voice therapy among nonfrail seniors may be greater than for younger patients.