Midwest Speech & Swallowing

02/26/2025

Despite the despicable efforts of many of Iowa's legislators to end trans civil rights, Midwest Speech & Swallowing will remain a safe space for ALL!🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍🌈

02/15/2025

Don't forget to join us for our Open House next Saturday from 10 til noon!

12/15/2024

We provide teletherapy speech therapy to rural Iowans. Without Congress's vote to make these services permanent, Medicare beneficiaries will lose access to necessary services. Please contact your representatives today!

https://www.votervoice.net/mobile/ASHAaction/Campaigns/106011/Respond?fbclid=IwY2xjawHL9f9leHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHamxLg5DXsQNiJfnk3jY-KQ-1mJMS7GLEimQTpfyfxIs8whNeH8CQlXU7A_aem_YbyPwwa_nvsFnng23QERnw

Medicare coverage for audiology and speech-language pathology services delivered via telehealth should be made permanent. But without Congressional action before the end of 2024, telehealth services provided to Medicare beneficiaries by audiologists...

12/02/2024

Exciting News!!!! We are now LSVT Loud Certified!

LSVT Loud is an evidence-based speech program for individuals with Parkinson's Disease to help them speak more loudly and clearly!

* No more repeating yourself!
* No more sitting out family events
* No more worrying about being heard in noisy places!

Contact us today! 515-207-2335 or email ashley@midwestspeechandswallowing.com

09/08/2024

There's always one. . . .

09/04/2024

Announcement!!!!!
Big changes are coming to Midwest Speech & Swallowing!
STAY TUNED!

08/18/2024

🫴Let's talk about the time I got kicked out of a nursing home for advocating for my patients

🏥A long-term care facility sent people to a local hospital when they were sick.

🩻They would get a swallow study with recs for extreme altered diets when the reports listed ONLY flash pe*******on and mild pharyngeal residue.

No actual physiological issues were listed 🤨

📞In calling the hospital to get clarification on why these diets were so extreme, I was told "well we were just concerned about their respiratory status and wanted to be cautious."

🫁You mean the respiratory status of a person not even on supplemental oxygen who is ambulatory and doesn't get short of breath when they eat?

👄So I requested a repeat swallow study (a FEES specifically) to validate that this ridiculous diet wasn't needed. I was denied by the DON and nurse practitioner that "they just had one."

🗑I explained to them why this previous study was garbage. Still, I was denied.

🤔So I thought, "Fine, let's manage this clinically. I've documented that I tried to get the study, it's not happening, but I did my job." The patient wasn't eating, so we needed to do something.

🙏We did trials and meals. Absolutely no issues. I requested a diet order to return pt to regular diet and thin liquids.

I was denied.😡

😧"It's the safest according to the swallow study" they said. And the patient would just have to "get over it."

📃After scooping my jaw off the floor, I continued to educate and advocate for this patient. I documented everything.

👋And a week later I was told not to return to the facility. Or any other facilities that the nurse practitioner serviced.

😪I cried (in my car of course), but not for myself; for my patient. Despite my best efforts, I had failed them💔

And then I realized, I didn't. This was not my fault

✅️It shouldn't have to be THIS HARD.

✅I shouldn't have to spend WEEKS fighting for what should be common sense treatment approach.

We have the power to impact peoples lives FOREVER. These patients deserve quality evaluations with recs based on FACTS, not FEELINGS.

We must STAND UP as a group and demand respect from our colleagues.

Our patients deserve more.

08/15/2024

Are we really still doing this?

For anyone not treating in the real world, yes, this is still happening.

Frequently

We need to be more concerned about 👆 than having battles about semantics in our reports.

I said what I said

08/12/2024

And they wonder why they can't keep SNF SLPs around. . . .
#

06/30/2024

Someone wants to put in her 2 cents in on this course I'm working on for SNF SLPs. If Midwest Speech & Swallowing needs a mascot, Kipper will be first in line to apply.

06/26/2024

SNF SLPs, I'm working on a webinar for you! We know we're not getting paid our worth, but do we actually know what our worth is? Money talks in SNF and knowing your worth is key to negotiating fair compensation. Follow, comment, and share this post! The more SNF SLPs we can reach the better!