PURPOSE: to identify extant adaptations into stomatognathic functions of chew, deglutition and speech in aged people at a long permanence Institution. METHODS: 34 aged people, of both genders, being 15 feminine and 19 masculine, with ages ranging from 65 to 88 years, took part in the study. Interviews were carried through containing questions for the aged people on general health and feeding and speech therapy evaluations were performed in order to characterize functions of chew, deglutition and speech. RESULTS: as for chew, it was observed that the majority of aged people showed an adapted chew, with exaggerated participation of perioral muscles, heaves of jaw and predominant chew standard was bilateral simultaneous. As for deglutition, it was observed that this function as well as chew were an adapted form into the majority of volunteers majority, we also observed the occurrence of exaggerated participation of perioral muscles and noise during deglutition. In speech evaluation we noted that in more than 50% of the aged people, there was great air escape occurring during speaks, as well as a rise of reduced larynx and the presence of substitution, omission, distortion and imprecision. CONCLUSION: it was observed that aged people get adaptations during chew process in order to keep their possible diet next to when they were young. It was also noted that the studied aged people carry through some compensations during deglutition. The found speech characteristics do not limit severely aged people communication currently. It was still possible to observe that attendance to aged people needed to be carried through by an interdisciplinary team and that speech therapist can and must be part of this team assisting in preventing and/or rehabilitating issues related to stomatognathic functions.
Mastication; Deglutition; Speech; Aged
