Blog Entry 1! Whatever Will Be, Will Be...
The future's not ours to see... Que Sera, Sera 🎶
My name is Kaela Howard and I am a graduate speech-language pathology student. My current interest is in the geriatric population, as I would love to work in a skilled nursing facility (SNF) for my clinical fellowship year - and beyond that.
I am currently in my third and final clinical practicum placement at a local Alzheimer's care SNF. So far - I am loving it! I have enjoyed working with the geriatric population for as long as I can remember. I have volunteered at senior adult events at my church for years, and have always felt so happy and refreshed after spending time with my grandparents over the years. I smiled ear to ear when I found out that the SNF I'm at for my practicum plays music over the intercoms from the 1940s-1960s for the residents to enjoy! It's just a place I feel the most at home out of all my other practicum placements.
Basically, I am just an old soul at heart. 🤎
*Not to mention* I also find cognitive and swallowing treatment and evaluation to be really interesting so far at my placement.
Regarding a typical day at the SNF for me: when I first arrive at 8am, my supervisor gives me a brief rundown of the status of the patients we will see for the day and allows me to decide who we will see and in what order. Typically, I arrive at breakfast time for the residents, so I will make my rounds to see our clients for swallowing treatment. After breakfast is over, we then attempt to squeeze in time for functional cognitive treatments (or evaluations) based on if we have any new clients on our caseload that day.
Some days we attend care plan and medicare meetings because my supervisor is currently the manager of the therapy department at our SNF and she heads up those meetings.
By the time the meetings are finished, it will be morning snack time for the residents, so we try to see any swallow evaluation clients during this time so we can get an accurate view of what their mode of intake looks like. Then, my supervisor and I will work on some billing procedures as the day goes on. Finally, we see the remainder of our swallow treatment clients at the noon meal and then my day is over, as I leave the facility around 1pm each day.
Of course, each day comes with its different challenges and occurrences that can alter our plans a bit. But this is a prime example of the need for SLPs to be flexible throughout their days and always have a plan B.
When reminiscing about my previous practicum placements, I can recall only a couple of ways in which being an SLP in an SNF relates to being an SLP in the schools and pediatric outpatient clinics:
One way is that pretty much all documentation is completed on an online database where patient and client records are kept and stored. This makes for easy documenting when compared to handwriting SOAP notes (like we did in my undergrad clinical placement - boy, was that a doozy).
Secondly, something I have learned during each graduate practicum placement is that there are new things you learn in a practicum that you do not learn in any undergrad or graduate program course. Things such as etiquette when speaking to parents or family of clients, billing procedures, and how to administer various assessments and evaluations to clients.
I have found that hands-on learning is the best form of learning for me, personally. I need to be in the setting giving the evaluation or providing a certain type of treatment to learn how to do so appropriately. This is something each of my supervisors has so graciously allowed me to do under their supervision in each of my placements. It has helped my knowledge of treatment and evaluation grow tremendously, and for that, I am so thankful.
The question I would like to ask my readers this week is this: What practices/resources can help an SLP's day flow more efficiently and help set the tone for an overall smooth day? What is something you are experiencing in your placement that you would like to share as a piece of advice?
I look forward to spending more time with the residents at my SNF in the coming weeks this semester and take joy in the hope that I am helping them reach their full potential while I am there. 🥲🥰
Finally, I would like to dedicate this blog to my sweet grandmother (Gma) who is currently a resident at the SNF I am at for my placement. She was diagnosed with Alzheimer's almost 5 years ago now but always exhibits such joy around others that I only hope I can intentionally send out one day. My favorite thing about her is how, even in the midst of her dementia, she makes sure to tell everyone around her she loves them. She will ask you your name, talk to you for a bit, then as you leave mention "I love you." I am so blessed to be able to spend this semester close to her 🧡
*Disclaimer: Permission granted from family to post the above photos.
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