Home Health Speech Therapist PRN

River Valley Home Health and Hospice; Corpus Christi (TX); On-site; USD 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Nurses On Wheels seeks a Speech Therapist to evaluate, diagnose, and treat speech, language, cognitive-communication, voice, and swallowing disorders in the home setting. Develop individualized plans to maximize communication, swallowing safety, and independence, collaborating with physicians, nurses, therapists, caregivers, and the team.

Provide comprehensive evaluations, evidence-based treatment, education to patients and caregivers, and precise documentation.

Qualifications

• Evaluations and treatment planning for speech-language pathology in home health.
• Ability to collaborate with physicians, nurses, therapists and caregivers.
• Provide patient- and family-centered education on communication strategies.

Responsibilities

• Perform comprehensive speech-language evaluations in the patient’s home.
• Develop individualized, evidence-based plans of care with short- and long-term goals.
• Provide skilled speech-language therapy to improve expression, comprehension, and swallowing safety.
• Educate patients and caregivers on communication strategies and safety precautions.
• Coordinate with interdisciplinary team and participate in care conferences.
• Complete timely documentation meeting Medicare, payer, agency, and regulatory requirements.

Job description

Job Description Summary

The Home Health Speech Therapist is responsible for evaluating, diagnosing, and treating patients with speech, language, cognitive-communication, voice, and swallowing disorders in the home setting. The Speech Therapist develops individualized treatment plans that maximize functional communication, improve swallowing safety, enhance quality of life, and promote patient independence while collaborating with physicians, nurses, therapists, caregivers, and the interdisciplinary team. Care is provided in accordance with physician orders, agency policies, state and federal regulations, and professional standards.

Essential Job Functions & Responsibilities

Patient Assessment

• Perform comprehensive speech-language pathology evaluations in the patient’s home.
• Assess:
• Speech disorders
• Language deficits
• Cognitive-communication impairments
• Voice disorders
• Swallowing (dysphagia)
• Oral motor function
• Functional communication abilities
• Review medical history, medications, physician orders, and previous therapy records.
• Determine rehabilitation potential and establish measurable treatment goals.

Treatment Planning

• Develop individualized, evidence-based plans of care.
• Establish short- and long-term goals.
• Modify treatment plans based on patient progress or decline.
• Recommend appropriate frequency and duration of services.

Therapeutic Interventions

• Provide skilled speech-language therapy to improve:
• Expressive language
• Receptive language
• Speech intelligibility
• Cognitive functioning
• Memory
• Attention
• Problem-solving
• Voice quality
• Swallowing safety
• Implement compensatory communication strategies.
• Perform dysphagia management, including therapeutic swallowing exercises when appropriate.
• Recommend diet texture modifications in collaboration with the physician and interdisciplinary team.
• Monitor patient response to interventions and adjust treatment as needed.

Patient & Caregiver Education

• Educate patients and caregivers regarding:
• Communication strategies
• Swallowing precautions
• Aspiration prevention
• Home exercise programs
• Adaptive equipment
• Safe feeding techniques
• Reinforce therapy goals during each visit.
• Evaluate caregiver understanding and competency.

Care Coordination

• Collaborate with:
• Physicians
• Registered nurses
• Physical therapists
• Occupational therapists
• Social workers
• Home health aides
• Dietitians
• Participate in interdisciplinary care conferences.
• Communicate significant changes in patient condition promptly.
• Recommend additional services or referrals when indicated.

Documentation

• Complete timely and accurate documentation including:
• Initial evaluations
• Visit notes
• Progress reports
• Recertifications
• Reassessments
• Discharge summaries
• Document skilled interventions, patient response, progress toward goals, and caregiver education.
• Ensure documentation meets Medicare, payer, agency, and regulatory requirements.

Quality & Compliance

• Adhere to all applicable federal, state, Medicare, HIPAA, and agency regulations.
• Maintain patient confidentiality.
• Follow infection prevention and safety standards during home visits.
• Maintain required professional licensure and continuing education.

Safety Responsibilities

• Assess the home environment for safety concerns affecting communication or swallowing.
• Identify aspiration risks and implement appropriate precautions.
• Report unsafe living conditions or abuse/neglect according to agency policy.
• Utilize universal precautions and appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE).

At Nurses On Wheels, we strive to provide excellent care for individuals of all ages and in all stages of life. Our goal is to help you maintain the highest quality of life in the comfort of your own home. We understand the importance of family and we do our best to treat your family like our own. We are here to support, listen, and respond to your care with compassion and understanding.