Clinical Resources

Print from the Clinical Resource library.
Handout

How to Complete Oral Care

Print Resource — US Letter — 1 page
AdultSLPDysphagia
This handout is designed for staff, patients, family, and caregivers to improve the quality of oral care and reducing the risks associated with oral bacteria in the body.
This content is only available to members.
Handout

How Speaking Valves Work

Print Resource — US Letter — 1 page
AdultSLPDysphagiaVoice
This handout is designed for speech-language pathologists working with patients and families with tracheostomies who want to understand how speaking valves work. The handout features basic anatomy of voice, as well as basic eligibility requirements and safety precautions.
This content is only available to members.
Handout

How Damage to the Recurrent Laryngeal Nerves Affects Swallowing and Voice

Print Resource — US Letter — 1 page
AdultSLPDysphagiaVoice
This handout provides a visual depicting the unique pathway of the recurrent laryngeal nerves from the brainstem, around the heart, and up to the larynx. The handout describes the purpose of cranial nerves as well as the specific functions of the vagus nerve and recurrent laryngeal nerves. The handout features a list of symptoms that patients may experience with damage to these nerves.
This content is only available to members.
Handout

How Can OT Help You Manage COPD?

Print Resource — US Letter — 1 page
AdultOT
This handout for educating clients and caregivers includes common pain points for those newly managing COPD. Training includes what COPD is, basic energy conservation, pacing, and task simplification with ADL and home management examples, how to manage oxygen tubing, and incorporating a daily exercise routine.
This content is only available to members.
Handout

Hidden Dangers for People with Dysphagia on Thickened Liquids

Print Resource — US Letter — 1 page
AdultSLPDysphagia
This handout is designed for patients, caregivers, and staff to illustrate where “hidden” thin liquids may pose a risk for people with dysphagia on thickened liquids. While not a comprehensive list, this handout highlights ice, straws, frozen treats, soup, and saliva, laying out the reasons why these things may pose an increased risk of aspiration and offering alternative solutions to reduce this risk.
This content is only available to members.
Handout

Hiatal Hernia, Reflux, and Dysphagia

Print Resource — US Letter — 1 page
AdultSLPDysphagia
This handout provides an overview of the anatomy/physiology of a hiatal hernia as well as how this injury relates to reflux and dysphagia. This handout helps provide a concrete visual explanation for a very esoteric concept as related to dysphagia rehabilitation.
This content is only available to members.
Handout

Hereditary Ataxias and Dsyphagia

Print Resource — US Lettera — 1 page
AdultSLPDysphagia
This handout describes what ataxia is, what its signs and symptoms are, and provides a description of treatment options.
This content is only available to members.
Handout

Getting Through the Day with Energy to Spare

Print Resource — US Letter — 1 page
AdultOTADLs/IADLs
This handout helps patients establish strategies to optimize energy throughout the day while completing ADLs. The handout is broken down into dressing, grooming/hygiene, and bathing/showering.
This content is only available to members.
Handout

GERD Precautions to Prevent Aspiration Pneumonia

Print Resource — US Letter — 1 page
AdultSLPDysphagia
Handout featuring explanation of aspiration pneumonia as related to GERD as well as 8 specific strategies for reducing the symptoms of GERD and related risk of aspiration pneumonia. Designed for speech-language pathologists working with patients who have dysphagia exacerbated by GERD.
This content is only available to members.
Handout

General Swallow Precautions

Print Resource — US Letter — 1 page
AdultSLPDysphagia
This handout helps ensure best practices when it comes to general aspiration precautions in the context of dysphagia. Many of these straight-forward strategies are frequently overlooked; this visual is meant to provide a visual reminder for everyone involved in the care and safety of someone experiencing dysphagia. Note that these are general precautions and are not meant to target any one particular dysphagia diagnosis. Specific strategies will need to be added for individual cases.
This content is only available to members.
Handout

Executive Functions

Print Resource — US Letter — 2 pages
AdultOTSLPBrain Injury
This resource describes what executive functions are to educate patients and their caregivers. Includes information about attention, processing speed, regulation, awareness, initiation, response inhibition, self-monitoring, mental flexibility, organization, sequencing, working memory, and planning. Second page includes a list of assessments specifically designed for targeting executive functions.
This content is only available to members.
Handout

Emergent Awareness

Print Resource — US Letter — 1 page
AdultOTSLPBrain Injury
This handout is designed to help patients (and really, mostly their family and friends) understand the process of awareness and how it impacts recovery from brain injury.  The handout includes ways to assess emergent awareness as well as ways to improve emergent awareness. Part of our self awareness series.
This content is only available to members.
Handout

Dining Out with Dysphagia

Print Resource — US Letter — 1 page
AdultSLPDysphagia
Living with dysphagia can make it difficult to eat out a restaurants or other people’s homes; however, this shouldn’t keep patients and their families from doing so. Mealtime is a significant part of the day for social interaction with family and friends This handout contains some ideas and tips to consider so that dining out […]
This content is only available to members.
Handout

Dysphagia Diet Textures (NDD)

Print Resource — US Letter — 2 pages
AdultSLPDysphagia
Handout describing the different levels of the National Dysphagia Diet.
This content is only available to members.
Handout

CPAP Use and Cognitive Function

Print Resource — US Letter — 1 page
AdultSLPBrain Injury
This handout describes the link between CPAP use and cognitive functions. The handout includes two research studies and a clear outline of how sleep affects specific cognitive functions.
This content is only available to members.
Handout

Coping With the Loss of Taste After Stroke or TBI

Print Resource — US Letter — 2 pages
AdultBrain InjuryDysphagiaStroke
Handout for people coping with the loss of taste after surviving a brain injury or undergoing radiation treatment for head and neck cancer.
This content is only available to members.
Handout

Complex Regional Pain Syndrome

Print Resource — US Letter — 1 page
AdultOTChronic PainNervous System Conditions
Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) is a form of chronic pain that commonly affects the arms and legs. CRPS can cause individuals to experience pain that is out of proportion to the severity of the initial injury. This handout is designed for rehabilitation therapists helping patients understand this diagnosis.
This content is only available to members.
Handout

Strategies for People with Dementia and Their Caregivers

Print Resource — US Letter — 1 page
AdultSLPDementia
This handout features 16 concrete action items for people with dementia and their caregivers. From keeping organized to how to structure conversations, these simple tips can help optimize independence and reduce confusion, anxiety, and fear for people with dementia.
This content is only available to members.
Handout

Chemotherapy-Induced Cognitive Impairment (Chemo Brain)

Print Resource — US Letter — 1 page
AdultSLPCancer
\We are just now beginning to understand the effects that chemotherapy has on the brain, including mental fog difficulty concentrating, and short-term/working memory impairments. This handout describes why these symptoms occur as well as how skilled therapy can help resolve these symptoms.
This content is only available to members.
Handout

Causes and Long-Term Outlook of Post-Operative Cognitive Dysfunction

Print Resource — US Letter — 1 page
AdultOTSLPBrain Injury
Often, patients continue to experience cognitive dysfunction after undergoing surgery and while in rehabilitation therapy. This can present from mild symptoms, including poor working memory and poor attention/focus, to more severe symptoms, including severe memory impairments that put the patient at risk for further decline in function. While the etiology of this condition is not fully understood, this handout aims to provide patients, family, caregivers, and staff with important information about the causes and long-term outlook of this condition, which can be very costly, both financially and emotionally to patients and their families.
This content is only available to members.