ABSTRACT
Earlier chapters have described some of the more common communication difficulties found in an adult, and specifically older adult, population. A major factor influencing their adjustment, and the way in which the speech therapist will plan management, is the environment within which they live. Some communication difficulties may be compounded, or indeed caused, by the individual’s environment, but similarly, the setting can encourage rehabilitation attempts. This chapter will attempt to describe the different environments in which elderly people are found, and specifically to discuss the role of the speech therapist in hospital and in the community. Institutional life, whether in long-stay hospitals or in old people’s homes, creates a very particular environment, and the inherent problems of such settings will be covered in Chapter 7.
