SpeechVive now available for Parkinson’s patients in 20 VA medical facilities nationwide

SpeechVive Inc. announced the completion of the 20th VA Medical Center training for the use of the SpeechVive device. SpeechVive is an ear-worn technology that immediately improves speech loudness, clarity, and rate for people with Parkinson’s disease.
By using an automatic cue to speak louder in a noisy environment, SpeechVive aids people with a condition called “hypophonia” or “soft voice,” which causes Parkinson’s patients to speak in a hushed, whispery or even a hoarse voice. This condition can impair the ability for people with Parkinson’s to communicate effectively. It is estimated that as many as 90% of people with Parkinson’s disease experience speech and voice changes while only 3-4% are referred for speech therapy to address it.
The clinical data collected from a multisite clinical trial demonstrates that SpeechVive is effective in 90 percent of the people using the device. “Our team is working diligently to train speech pathologists in VA medical centers, giving them a new tool to use when helping veterans with Parkinson’s disease,” said Ashleigh Lambert, CCC-SLP, is a speech language pathologist and the clinical manager for SpeechVive.
Veterans with Parkinson’s disease can be seen by a speech pathologist at their VA to see if SpeechVive is appropriate for them. The VA considers SpeechVive a prosthetic device and provides it to veterans free of charge.
More than 1.5 million people in the U.S. have Parkinson’s and it is one of the most common degenerative neurological diseases.
VA Facilities offering SpeechVive include:
- Cincinnati VA Medical Center
- Cleveland VA Medical Center
- Maine VA Medical Center, Augusta
- Salem VA Medical Center
- Madison VA Medical Center
- Tampa VA Medical Center
- Brooklyn VA Medical Center
- St. Albans VA Medical Center
- New York City VA Medical Center
- VA North Texas Medical Center, Dallas
- VA South Texas Medical Center, Kerrville
- VA Puget Sound, Seattle
- VA Puget Sound, American Lake
- Phoenix VA Healthcare System
- San Francisco VA Healthcare System
- Southeast Louisiana Veterans Healthcare System, New Orleans
- VA Boston Healthcare System, Jamaica Plain
- VA Medical Center Honolulu
- Veterans Healthcare System of the Ozarks, Fayetteville
- Veterans Home, South Paris, Maine
- VA West Palm Beach, Florida
About SpeechVive
SpeechVive is a Lafayette, Ind.-based corporation formed in 2011. The company is dedicated to improving the quality of life for individuals with speech problems due to Parkinson’s and other diseases by enabling people to speak more loudly and communicate more effectively with their loved ones. www.speechvive.com