With an increase in modernization and increase in technology, there has been a noticeable shift in the landscape of the healthcare sector. The new services include the services of healthcare in the comfort of their home. The healthcare services that people can get in their safe space are doctor visits at home, nursing care, diagnostic tests, physiotherapy, and speech therapy. Among these services, the home visit of a doctor and the availability of speech therapy are gaining immense popularity in Dubai due to their easy access and convenience.
Growing Demand for Doctor Visits at Home
The conventional healthcare model requires the patient to go through the hassle of going to the medical facility or hospital which is not convenient for many people due to various reasons. People facing mobility issues, health issues due to old age, chronic conditions requiring regular checkups, or are parents of young children who leave no time for their parents to take care of their health. In these situations, people often find it difficult to commute to the hospital or clinic which is not only time-consuming but also stressful.
People can book an appointment with the doctor who will visit their home according to the time the patient is available representing the shift of healthcare services from a centralized to a more patient-centric approach where the patient’s convenience and comfort are prioritized first, while also allowing the patients to have one-on-one consultation with the doctor. This service has made the management and monitoring of chronic diseases much more effective and in a relaxed environment.
Elderly patients also benefit greatly from this service as they don’t have to leave their homes or travel long distances to get a consultation with a doctor. Doctors can come home for check-ups, medical procedures, therapies such as physiotherapy or mental health therapy, and prescribe medications without going through the stress of leaving their house with a weakened body due to old age.
Speech Therapist’s Role in Healthcare
Speech therapy in Dubai plays a vital role in the treatment of various issues that are mentioned briefly below to better understand their role;
- Individuals struggle with various issues associated with articulation, stuttering, or voice disorders that reduce their confidence significantly, speech therapist helps regain the confidence of these individuals.
- Language disorders are disorders associated with difficulty in understanding the language effectively, making it difficult for individuals to express themselves efficiently or understand others easily. Children with developmental delays greatly benefit from speech therapy as it helps them interact better socially and academically.
- Another disorder that speech therapists deal with is cognitive communication disorder which impairs the ability of an individual to think and process information affecting their communication skills.
- Individuals who have a brain injury, neurological disorders, and dementia need a speech therapist to recuperate their communication function.
- Neurological conditions, aging, or injuries can result in swallowing disorders, these problems are acknowledged by the speech therapist through exercises and techniques to help them control their swallowing ability to lower the risk of choking or aspiration pneumonia.
Exercises in Speech Therapy
The following exercises are used to target the challenges related to speech or language.
- For the production of sound and improving clarity, articulation exercises are used these include mirror practice, word repetition, and tongue twisters.
- For understanding and expressing the language, word association games, storytelling, and role play as they encourage individual to form sentences and improve their conversational skills by practicing daily life scenarios.
- Fluency exercises such as breathing techniques, slow speech practice, and rhythmic speaking are suggested for the improvement of the stuttering.
- Voice therapy is conducted to improve the quality of the voice.
- Cognitive communication exercises performed in case of neurological disorders.
- Swallowing difficulties commonly known as dysphagia are treated with swallowing therapy.
Duration and Frequency of Speech Therapy
The sessions usually last for 30 to 60 minutes with 1-3 sessions per week. The frequency of the sessions depends on the severity of the condition and it lasts for weeks to months according to the progress and the goals of the therapy.
Dubai Speech Therapy
Along with the demand for doctor home visit the demand for speech therapists is also rising exponentially in Dubai. Speech therapy is done for the correction of speech, language, and communication disorders to help people do better communication with confidence. This form of therapy is also recommended for children having delays in development or adults who are recovering from a stroke.
Dubai is a hub of many cultures, and people with a diverse background and cultures, this makes it difficult for speech therapists as they are working with people having different dialects and languages. This complexity in the field indicates that therapists are highly qualified with specialized care to deal efficiently with people from different cultures and backgrounds.
With the advanced development in the city of Dubai and the increase in tourists and immigrants coming from different parts of the world, they have to have speech therapy sessions to better communicate with confidence and without any difficulty and improve and modification in the accent. Moreover, the healthcare sector of Dubai has made a significant stride in the present decade, hospitals are providing medical services at home as well as the easy availability of speech therapists in every hospital and nearly every clinic. This service is not only available in the hospital or clinical setting but people can also book a session with the speech therapist in the comfort of their home in an extremely peaceful environment.
Conclusion
The services of healthcare are now revolutionizing to cater to the needs of the patients while increasing comfort and convenience. The speech therapists and the doctor at-home services are immensely beneficial for people facing various disorders whether it is related to chronic illnesses or disabilities regarding communication, or brain injury-induced language loss. The services are comfortable, accessible, time and cost-saving. People in Dubai are particularly using these services to improve their lives and the lives of their loved ones.