For years, Adelphi University has taken students out of the classroom to gain hands-on experience in their field. In October, speech-language pathology students will have the opportunity to conduct swallowing screenings at senior health fairs.
These fairs are a part of the Golden Gathering, which are events that consist of free health screenings, entertainment, refreshments, door prizes and various informational tables geared toward the interests and needs of senior citizens.
On Oct. 18, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., the fair will be held at the Freeport Recreation Center, and on Oct. 22 it will be held at the Dominican Village in Amityville. Students will not only provide swallowing screenings but will educate older adults about dysphagia.
Dysphagia, a medical term used to describe swallowing difficulties, are common in the older adults. They often co-occur with diagnoses such as head and neck cancer, strokes, brain injuries, dementia, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis and ALS.
“The Golden Gathering presents a great opportunity for Adelphi masters-level speech-language pathology students,” said assistant professor Ashwini Namasivayam-MacDonald, who will be taking students to the fairs. “Anyone found to be at risk will be encouraged to seek a more comprehensive assessment from a speech-language pathologist, and will be given the option of having an assessment performed at Adelphi’s free on-campus Communication Sciences and Disorders clinic.”
For more information on the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders — as well as the Ruth S. Ammon School of Education — go to https://education-csd.adelphi.edu.
