Laryngectomy care | Carter Speech Pathology

Help so you don’t need the help

Home-based care from an experienced speech-language pathologist

We will never share your information

Confidence

Gain the confidence to know you are taking care of things properly after a laryngectomy surgery.

Convenience

We come to you: our service is mobile, meaning fewer visits to hospital.

Personalized Service

You are working with the same SLP start to finish.

Why Carter Speech Pathology?

“Nathan is a professional and great at what he does. Would wholeheartedly recommend his services!”

J. C. Google Review

Why Carter Speech Pathology?

“[…] his warmth and genuine care and compassion shine through in his interactions — which is rare in someone with his level of efficiency, knowledge, and additional professional certifications.”

Reena ParharClinical Practice Lead
Fraser Health Authority

Why Carter Speech Pathology?

What another client’s family has said: “Nathan, thank you so much for your help and encouragement. I think we both have a renewed faith now that things will get better. […] I have told my friends how helpful and professional you are. Hopefully they will contact you if they ever need speech therapy.”

Marje B.

Advanced FEES course:
SA Swallowing Services (Dr. J. Ashford)

Registered SLP

ILP certified

12+ years experience

FAQ

What is involved in taking care of myself after a laryngectomy?

Though there is some variety in the details of each surgery and in the equipment you will need afterward, just about everybody who has had this surgery needs to do 3 things: keep their lungs humidified, keep their stoma and equipment clean, and maintain a means of communication (a voice prosthesis or electrolarynx being common examples).

These are acquired skills, taught briefly to some extent while a person is in hospital. Some aspects of caring for yourself might seem more daunting when you are back at home without nurses and others nearby to help. Our service is to bridge the confidence gap between being totally cared for in hospital and reaching full independence afterward. Taking care of yourself properly can let you avoid having to go back to hospital with an issue.

Can I talk to an SLP for free?

Yes! We’d be happy to talk with you, find out what you need, and determine whether our services would be of value to you. We will have a speech pathologist with years of laryngectomy experience contact you directly by email or by phone.

What if I haven’t had the surgery yet, or don’t understand all the jargon in this FAQ?

There are many good freely-available resources to help untangle the jargon and explain the details of the surgery and life afterwards. There are a number of helpful local and online groups who can be experienced peers for you before and after surgery. Contact us if you’d like to be pointed in those directions — we’re happy to be a free jumping-off point for those resources whether you use our services or not.

Is the cost covered by MSP?

No – the service is a private one and so does not qualify for coverage under MSP. But much like for private physiotherapy or massage therapy, extended health plans will often provide some level of coverage for speech pathology services. It is worth checking with your extended health provider to see whether the cost of SLP services are offset by coverage you already have. Public options for SLP laryngectomy services can be accessed through some hospitals especially in larger centers, but we are not aware of any others locally that provide a mobile service in your home like we do.

Is it expensive?

This is a subjective question and depends on how much value you see in the outcome. Some people find it too expensive, and others are relieved to find our help more affordable than a service they had used before, or to find to find this kind of service at all. We charge $150/hr for direct service time and charting. Because we provide an entirely mobile service, there is a per km charge ($0.50) and reduced hourly rate (one-third of the standard rate) for your speech pathologist’s travel to your location. Our hourly rate is not considered high for SLP services in BC and is similar to rates for many tradespeople. Each person will weigh the value of improved laryngectomy care and self-confidence against the cost of our service and come to a decision that makes sense for them. We are happy to speak with you at no cost to share whatever other information you may need for that decision.

What are the risks?

Having a speech pathologist on your side once you’re back home after a surgery does not add any additional risk. The first days after surgery are generally more risky while your surgical site is healing and more vulnerable to infection — you are not discharged from hospital until your surgical team believes you are through that stage and believes that you or your family should be able to manage everything at home. However, there is often a difference between “should be able to” manage and “feels confident to” manage, which is why we provide our home-based service.

We have worked with many people who learn to take care of their equipment and stoma themselves. Some even do their own voice prosthesis changes (certain types) without supervision and without complications for years. Most people have their voice prostheses changed at a clinic or hospital by a speech pathologist but take care of all the more routine care themselves. Where would you land on this spectrum of independence at this point in time? A (free) discussion with our experienced speech pathologist could help to determine where you are at and see if we can speed up your progress to full independence.