Speech Language Pathology in Orland Park, IL
When a stroke, a hospital stay or a diagnosis like Parkinson’s changes how someone speaks or swallows, home can feel like the hardest place to be. Meals get stressful, conversations get short, and families start to guess at what helps.
Choice Care Home Health provides speech-language pathology at home in Orland Park, IL. Our speech-language pathologists (SLPs), therapists who evaluate and treat speech, language, voice, thinking and swallowing problems, come to your home when a doctor orders care. We are a Medicare-certified, ACHC-accredited home health agency.
Call (708) 489-0123 or contact our care team to ask about a referral.
What Is Speech-Language Pathology?
Speech-language pathology is the evaluation and treatment of communication and swallowing problems. A speech-language pathologist (also called a speech therapist) tests how a person speaks, understands, remembers and swallows, then builds a plan around the person’s goals. Our full speech and language pathology services page explains the program, and this page covers care for Orland Park families.
Who Can Speech Therapy at Home Help?
Speech therapy is not only for people who have trouble talking. It can help with several kinds of change:
- After a stroke. Weakness or brain injury can cause aphasia (a language disorder that affects how you communicate), dysarthria (slurred or weak speech from muscle weakness) and swallowing problems. The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) says aphasia is most often caused by a stroke. See our guide to home health care after a stroke.
- With Parkinson’s disease. Voice can get quiet, speech can slow, and swallowing can change.
- With dementia or memory loss. Therapy can focus on cognitive-communication (the thinking skills behind conversation, like attention, memory and following steps). Read more about Medicare and in-home care for dementia.
- After a hospital stay or surgery. Illness, long stays on a breathing tube, and surgery can all affect voice and swallowing.
- With voice changes. A hoarse, weak or tiring voice may need an evaluation.
Signs It May Be Time for a Speech Evaluation
ASHA’s guide for adults says to seek an evaluation if you notice signs like these. Talk with your doctor if you see any of them.
| Area | Signs to watch for |
|---|---|
| Speech and voice | Slurred or hard-to-understand speech, trouble finding the right word, a hoarse or weak voice, or communicating feeling harder than it used to |
| Language | Trouble following conversations, needing things repeated, answers that don’t match the question, trouble following directions |
| Thinking and memory | Forgetting appointments or names, asking the same question again, trouble staying focused, trouble planning the day |
| Swallowing | Coughing or clearing the throat when eating or drinking, food feeling “stuck,” food left in the cheeks, meals taking much longer |
If someone has sudden face drooping, arm weakness, or slurred speech, call 911. That could be a stroke.
Speech Language Pathology in Orland Park, IL: Our Services
Every plan starts with an evaluation and a doctor’s order. The SLP then sets goals with you and your family and updates them as things change.
| Service | What it helps with | What it can look like at home |
|---|---|---|
| Aphasia therapy | Speaking, understanding, reading and writing after stroke or brain injury | Word-finding practice, simple conversation drills, picture and gesture tools |
| Speech clarity (dysarthria) therapy | Slurred, slow or weak speech | Breath, pace and mouth-movement practice during daily routines |
| Swallowing (dysphagia) therapy | Coughing or choking with food or drink | Safer food textures and liquids, posture, and mealtime strategies |
| Voice therapy | Weak, hoarse or tiring voice | Voice exercises and habits that protect the voice |
| Cognitive-communication therapy | Memory, attention and organization that affect conversation | Memory aids, routines, and step-by-step strategies for daily tasks |
| Caregiver and family training | Helping a loved one communicate at home | Simple ways to talk, wait, cue and keep practice going between visits |
Not every person needs every service. The SLP and your doctor decide what fits.
How Speech Therapy at Home Works
- Get a doctor’s order. Ask your doctor, neurologist or hospital discharge planner whether home health speech therapy fits.
- Call us. We check the order and your insurance, and tell you what to expect.
- Schedule the first visit. A clinician comes to your home. Many people begin within a few days of referral, depending on orders and our schedule.
- Evaluation. The SLP tests speech, language, thinking and swallowing, and looks at how your home and routines work.
- Plan of care. Your doctor approves a plan with goals and visit frequency.
- Therapy and practice. Visits focus on your goals. The SLP teaches simple practice you can do between visits.
- Review. The team checks progress, updates the plan, and talks with your doctor.
Why Do Speech Therapy at Home?
Home is where you eat, talk and manage your day. An SLP who comes to you can see your kitchen table, your routines and the people who help you. That makes it easier to practice real tasks, like ordering a meal, taking medicine or talking on the phone, and to teach family members on the spot.
Home health speech therapy is also one part of a team. Your SLP can coordinate with our skilled nursing team, physical therapists, occupational therapists, home health aides and medical social workers when your doctor orders those services too.
Does Medicare Cover Speech Therapy at Home?
It can. Medicare.gov says home health services are covered when you meet all of these:
- You need part-time or intermittent skilled care, which can include speech-language therapy.
- You are homebound (leaving home takes a major effort).
- A doctor or allowed provider sees you in person, confirms you need home health, and orders the care.
- A Medicare-certified home health agency provides it.
Medicare says you pay nothing for covered home health services. Outpatient speech therapy under Part B works differently: after the Part B deductible you pay 20% of the Medicare-approved amount, according to Medicare.gov.
Medicare Advantage plans may need approval first or an in-network agency. Eligibility is decided case by case, and we can’t promise coverage. Check our insurance plans page, then call us. For the full rules, read how to qualify for Medicare home health care in Illinois.
Where We Provide Speech Therapy Near Orland Park
We are based in Orland Park, IL and serve families in Cook and Will counties and the southwest suburbs. Our nearby service pages include:
We also help families in towns near Orland Park, including Palos Park, Palos Hills, Tinley Park, Oak Forest, Homer Glen and Mokena. Call to confirm your address is in our area.
For Discharge Planners and Case Managers
Sending a referral for speech-language pathology? Please include:
- The doctor’s order and the date of the in-person visit
- The diagnosis and any swallowing or diet instructions
- Notes on why the patient is homebound
- Insurance information and the discharge date
Call (708) 489-0123 or fax (708) 489-2399. We will confirm receipt and coordinate the start of care with the patient and family.
Speech Therapy at Home: Orland Park FAQ
A speech-language pathologist evaluates and treats problems with speech, language, voice, thinking and swallowing. At home, the SLP tests your abilities, sets goals with you, and practices real tasks in your own routines. The SLP also teaches family members how to help between visits and works with your doctor.
It can. Medicare covers part-time skilled home health care, including speech-language therapy, when you are homebound, a doctor orders it, and a Medicare-certified agency provides it. You pay nothing for covered home health services. Eligibility is decided case by case, and Medicare Advantage plans may have extra rules.
Yes, it often helps. After a stroke, an SLP can treat aphasia, slurred speech, memory and thinking changes, and swallowing problems. Progress varies from person to person, so the SLP sets goals with you and your family and adjusts them as you recover. Your doctor guides the overall plan.
Common signs include coughing or clearing the throat while eating or drinking, a feeling that food is stuck, food left in the cheeks, and meals that take much longer. Tell your doctor if you notice these. Call 911 if someone is choking and cannot breathe or cough.
Yes. Home health speech therapy starts with a doctor's order, and for Medicare the doctor or allowed provider must see you in person first. Ask your primary care doctor, neurologist or hospital discharge planner. We can review the order with you and explain the next steps.
Care often begins within a few days of discharge, but timing depends on the doctor's orders, the referral and our schedule. Ask the discharge planner to send the referral before you leave the hospital, and tell us the discharge date so we can plan the first visit.
Yes. We are based in Orland Park, IL and serve families in nearby Cook and Will county communities, including Palos Heights, Oak Lawn and Will County. Service areas can change by address, so call (708) 489-0123 and we will confirm whether your home is in our area.
Talk to Choice Care Home Health About Speech Therapy
Call (708) 489-0123 or contact our care team. Choice Care Home Health is a Medicare-certified, ACHC-accredited home health agency based in Orland Park, IL. For ideas to use between visits, see our speech therapy at home tips.
This page is for general information and is not medical advice. Speech and swallowing needs vary, so follow your doctor’s and therapist’s instructions. Call 911 for sudden stroke signs or choking that does not clear.
Ready to start?
Call (708) 489-0123 or send a message. We’ll help you with the next step.
