• Health Services


North Jersey Swallowing Center

The North Jersey Swallowing Center conveniently located at St. Joseph's Regional Medical Center in Paterson and St. Joseph's Wayne Hospital, provides comprehensive evaluation and treatment to adults with difficulty feeding or swallowing.

 

Who may need our services?

Our patients are men and women who have medical problems that affect their swallowing mechanism. Some of these illnesses include:

  • Stroke
  • Parkinson’s Disease
  • Traumatic Brain Injury
  • Multiple Sclerosis
  • Early Onset of Alzheimer’s Disease
  • Oral Cancers
  • Gastrointestinal disorders
  • Vocal Cord Paralysis
  • Individuals who have undergone head or neck surgery
  • Respiratory compromise including tracheostomy

 

Signs and symptoms of swallowing disorders include:

  • Difficulty chewing
  • Difficulty initiating a swallow
  • Coughing when eating or drinking
  • “Wet” vocal quality after swallowing
  • Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing after swallowing
  • Food feels stuck in the throat after swallowing
  • Food remaining in the mouth after the swallow

 

Our Goal

We strive to identify patients with feeding and swallowing disorders, determine the cause and begin treatment as soon as the Pt. is ready. We wish to enable each patient to eat and drink as safely, independently, and efficiently as possible.

 

Our Staff

Our staff includes Licensed and/or Board-recognized Speech Pathologists, specifically trained in the evaluation and treatment of individuals with swallowing disorders. These therapists work in conjunction with physicians who specialize in treating patients with swallowing disorders, including ear, nose and throat specialists, gastroenterologists, pulmonologists and neurologists, in addition to clinical specialists such as physical, occupational, nutrition and respiratory therapists.

 

Services Provided

Evaluation – Each patient receives a comprehensive evaluation that assesses swallowing strengths and weaknesses. Using a variety of feeding and swallowing strategies, the speech pathologist determines the safest diet textures for each patient. Our staff utilizes state-of-the-art imaging equipment that provides visualization of the anatomy of the throat during swallow, enabling the speech pathologist to precisely identify the nature and location of the swallowing problem so that effective treatment interventions can be devised.

 

Treatment – Individualized treatment plans are designed to specifically target each patient’s area(s) of difficulty. The goals of treatment include teaching compensatory strategies that provide immediate short-term gains in the safety and efficiency of the swallow, as well as training in the use of exercises that provide long-term improvements. The wide range of treatment modalities available at the North Jersey Swallowing Center have been proven highly effective in helping patients to rehabilitate their swallow.

 

Our staff provides care to patients individually, not in a group setting, ensuring the maximum benefit for each patient.

 

Individuals who are treated at the North Jersey Swallowing Center experience the following benefits:

  • Treatment is easily accessible.
  • Working closely with our staff, they regain the ability to enjoy a variety of foods, sustain a healthy diet and maintain good health.
  • They reduce the risk of medical complications, including pneumonia, weight loss, dehydration and malnutrition from feeding problems.
  • They learn to effectively manage the limitations imposed by their illness and enjoy a good quality of life.


For additional information, please contact William J. Roche SLP.D, BRS-S Clinical Director:
St. Joseph’s Regional Medical Center, Paterson: 973.754.2930
St. Joseph’s Wayne Hospital, Wayne: 973.956.3331

 

Click on the link below to see video of a normal adult swallowing.