Resources
Free tools for clinicians and caregivers
A screening checklist for the professionals who refer to me, and a plain-language swallowing guide for the families managing this at home. Both are free, no strings attached.
These articles are moving. Years of writing on stroke, Parkinson’s disease, dementia, caregiving, and teletherapy are being brought across to this site. Until that is finished, they remain available on the previous site.
If you are looking for something specific, send a text or email me and I will point you to it.
What you will find here
After a stroke
What speech therapy does in the weeks and months after a stroke, what recovery tends to look like, and how families can help without taking over.
Dementia & caregiving
Communication strategies by stage, how to handle repetition and refusal, and how to look after yourself while caring for someone else.
Swallowing & mealtimes
Why swallowing changes with age and illness, what is worth worrying about, and how to make meals calmer and safer at home.
Free resource
For Clinicians & Professionals
Free: Adult Tracheostomy Decannulation Readiness Checklist
A one-page screening tool for physicians, SLPs, respiratory therapy, and nursing weighing whether a tracheostomized patient is ready to move toward decannulation. It summarizes the readiness domains most consistently cited across published tracheostomy care guidelines:
- Medical & respiratory stability
- Airway patency
- Secretion management & cough
- Neurological & cognitive status
- Swallow function
- Capping & trial progression
- Team sign-off
Note: This is a screening aid to support referral timing. It does not replace full clinical, endoscopic, or instrumental swallow evaluation — always apply institutional protocol and clinical judgment.
Get the free checklist
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Download the checklist (PDF)Clinicians also use: the Dementia Quick Reference Guide and SNF/ALF Printables in the shop.
Free resource
For Caregivers & Families
Free: Dysphagia Diet & Choking Prevention Guide
A plain-language guide for anyone caring for a loved one with swallowing difficulties (dysphagia) at home. It walks through the IDDSI framework — the standardized scale speech-language pathologists and dietitians use to describe food and drink textures, from thin liquids up through regular table food — in terms a family member can actually use at the grocery store and the kitchen table.
- What each texture level means in plain English, and how to tell if a food or drink matches it
- Warning signs that a meal or texture isn’t safe, and when to call your loved one’s care team
- Practical tips for calmer, safer mealtimes at home
Note: This guide is educational and general in nature. Always follow the specific diet texture and liquid consistency level your loved one’s speech-language pathologist or physician has prescribed for them personally — it can change over time, and this guide does not replace that individualized recommendation.
Get the free guide
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Here you go
Your download is ready below. Thank you for signing up — you’re now on the list for future caregiver resources too.
Download the guide (PDF)Caregivers also find helpful: the Dementia Distractions activity bundle — simple printable activities to do together at home.
Start with a conversation
Tell me what you are noticing. I will tell you honestly whether an evaluation would help, and we will talk through options and fees once I understand what you need.