Speech Pathology
Speech pathologists are experts in the assessment, diagnosis and management of problems relating to communication, swallowing and voice.
Clinical service overview
We care for:
- inpatients at all three hospital sites, and those that have been referred for follow-up care on discharge
- people in the community who are referred to the Caulfield Community Health Service, Community Rehabilitation Program or the Voice Clinic
We have staff at all three hospital sites and provide a service to all units within the hospital. Each of our departments offers a variety of specialised services which can respond to your specific needs.
Inpatients and outpatients with a range of problems including disorders of swallowing, communication and voice may be referred. These problems can arise from:
- brain injuries including stroke and brain tumours
- progressive neurological conditions such as Motor Neurone Disease or Parkinson's Disease
- cancer affecting the head and neck structures
- burns affecting the head and neck region
- respiratory / breathing difficulties including tracheostomy tubes
Our service includes:
- speech and language assessments
- assessment and management of swallowing disorders including videofluoroscopy procedures (x-ray of swallowing) and FEES (fibreoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallow) assessments
- cognitive assessment and therapy
- individualised therapy programs to remediate communication disorders
- group therapy programs, including memory, and communication groups
- Return to Work/Study Program
- provision of alternative communication devices and strategies
- education and counselling to family and carers
- referral to other external agencies as appropriate
The Sandringham Speech Pathology Department also provides an outpatient videofluoroscopy service to patients from Bentleigh Bayside Community Health (referral required).
Voice Clinic
The Alfred Voice Clinic is conducted in conjunction with ENT staff on a monthly basis. This specialist clinic provides the assessment of voice disorders (via video-stroboscopy) and swallowing disorders (via fibre-optic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing).
Recommendations are developed by the team following assessment. The clinic is available to inpatients and outpatients.
Refer your patient
Internal referrals only
We accept referrals for inpatients and patients who have been referred internally from Alfred Health services.
For community accessible outpatient clinics, refer to Caulfield Community Health Service (CCHS) or Community Rehabilitation Program (CRP) via the Caulfield Access Unit.
- Referral enquiries (Access Unit) (03) 9076 6776
- Referral fax (Access Unit) (03) 9076 6773
- Enquiries email (Access Unit) gcgmcaccess@alfred.org.au
Our clinics
Clinic name | Campus | Location |
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Resources
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Speech Pathology Australia
General information, professional development and resources
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Speech Pathology Brochure - CCHS
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Brain Foundation
A nationally registered charity dedicated to funding world-class research Australia-wide into neurological disorders, brain disease and brain injuries
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Stroke Centre
An independent web resource for information about stroke care and research
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Stroke Foundation
A website dedicated to stroke recovery and support