Date: 2025-01-22


Author: Pete Imbesi

Category:

Aging impacts every part of our bodies and brains — and speech is no exception. Studies show that issues with speech, including loss of the ability to speak or trouble speaking clearly, are relatively common in older adults. But even so, it can be scary to see your aging parents have trouble speaking without warning.

In this post, we’ll explore common causes of the sudden inability to speak in elderly patients.

Download Our FREE Path to Care Guide

Why Do the Elderly Lose the Ability to Speak?

A few common causes of a sudden inability to speak in the elderly include:

1. Aphasia

Aphasia is a disorder caused by damage to the language center of the brain. It usually occurs following a stroke or brain injury, but can also be caused by brain tumors or a progressive neurological disease.

There are different types of Aphasia based on the nature of the brain injury. Some of the most common types of Aphasia include loss of the ability to speak as a side effect:

  • Broca’s aphasia – people suffering from Broca’s aphasia may understand speech and know what they want to say, but have trouble speaking clearly. They are usually able to understand what others are saying without issue and are aware that they are unable to speak, leading to severe frustration and emotional distress.
  • Global aphasia – people with global aphasia have severe issues with communication and often have no speaking ability beyond a few words. They may struggle to understand even simple words or sentences.

Rather than not being able to speak, some forms of aphasia are more likely to cause trouble speaking clearly. They include:

  • Wernicke’s aphasia – people with Wernicke’s aphasia may speak in long sentences that have no meaning, add unnecessary words, or unintentionally make up words. They are often unaware of their mistakes and struggle to understand others.
  • Conduction aphasia – with conduction aphasia, sufferers have not totally lost the ability to speak, but are unable to repeat words or sentences — even though they understand them.
  • Anomic aphasia – people with anomic aphasia have trouble naming objects even though they know what the object is and what it is used for.

2. Dysarthria

Dysarthria is a motor speech disorder caused by damage to your nervous system, specifically, the muscles that produce speech. When these muscles become weakened or paralyzed, it can become difficult to control your tongue or voice box, which can cause trouble speaking clearly.

Signs of dysarthria include slurred speech, difficulty placing emphasis on the right parts of a word, speaking abnormally fast or slow, sounding abnormally nasal or breathy, or speech that sounds strained.

3. Dementia

Alzheimer’s disease or other types of dementia can cause difficulty with understanding speech and processing information over time. With certain types of dementia — like frontotemporal dementia (FTD) — trouble with language is one of the first observable symptoms.

Dementia patients often have difficulty finding the words to express themselves, and over time, may have trouble speaking clearly. As the disease progresses, they may experience loss of the ability to speak.

Sudden Inability to Speak in Elderly – What to Do

Speaking, listening, and processing information all become more difficult as we age — but if you notice

your aging parents are suddenly having trouble speaking — it may be the cause of an underlying medical issue. If your loved one has lost the ability to speak without warning, contact their medical team immediately.

If you need support caring for a senior who is unable to speak, contact our caregiving team today at 1-800-GRISWOLD to learn more about our home care services or find a Caregiver near you.

Date: 2025-01-22

Author: Pete Imbesi

Category:

please enter a zip code, or a more specifc location

Give us a call

1.800.GRISWOLD
Griswold Logo

*The Griswold service model varies depending on which state the office is in. In some states, our service is solely to refer thoroughly screened professional caregivers. In other states, we employ and supervise the caregivers. In every state, we're 100% focused on quality services and responsiveness to your needs. For each office, you'll see its service model and learn how we can best help you and your family with your home care needs. (See item 7 and item 19 of our current FDD for additional information.)