Program Goal

 

To restore swallow function by utilizing VitalStim® Therapy as a therapeutic intervention for the treatment of dysphagia.

Patient Mix:

Patients who have benefited from this therapy suffer from dysphagia as a result of a number of diagnoses including: stroke, progressive neurological disease, and the side effects of head and neck cancer treatments. Some patients have been G-tube dependent for a year or more and experienced improvement several months to years after traditional treatment was abandoned.

Benefits of VitalStim®  Therapy:

• VitalStim®  is the only neuromuscular electrical stimulation that is cleared by the FDA to treat dysphagia
• Based on a comparative study, 98% of electrical stimulation patients studied had improved swallow function compared to 33% receiving thermal stimulation
• Proven safe and painless, resulting in improved muscle contraction and swallow function
• Better and faster results than any traditional therapy
• Chronic dysphagia patients experience long-lasting results
• Reduction in healthcare cost and hospital readmissions
• Reduced necessity for long-term care, expensive respiratory and nutritional support

How VitalStim®  retrains muscle function:

• External skin electrodes are placed on the pharyngeal muscles
• Small electrical currents stimulate the muscles responsible for swallowing
• A calibrated current is delivered by specially designed electrodes
• The current stimulates motor nerves in the throat
• The muscles responsible for swallowing contract, improving the swallowing function with repeated therapy sessions the muscles are re-educated

Treatment Plan

• Patient assessment and evaluation by a speech or occupational therapist certified in VitalStim® Therapy
• Combination of traditional treatments and electrical stimulation
• Treatment sessions are usually an hour, 6 to 20 treatments
• Patient and family education

 

KC’s Home Health Care is a Medicare Certified Agency